South West
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Located in the South-West region of Western Australia, the project scope included both architecture + landscape and was developed by TIERRA design, with involvement from Steven Postmus.

The private residence reflects an approach which distills built form as an expression of landscape and newly formed places connected to place.

As such, the project displays the paired ideas of meandering and built formality, reflecting the relationship between the natural contours of bush land (emblematic of the site’s iconic Margaret River view, with its rolling river headland) and the crisp horizontality of the ocean beyond,

Project Details
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Margaret River, Western Australia
Completed
Stage 1 - 2012 || Stage 2 - 2014

Architects:

TIERRA

CAPA Team:

Steven Postmus - Project Leader

Justin Carrier

Chris McMahon

Builder:

Neil Kelly Building Co.

Photography: John Madden Photography

All images and project credit listing permission has been sought and kindly provided by TIERRA

The entry approach intentionally wanders through a forest of eucalypts and willow myrtles, guided beyond the turn by low stone walls. These site walls contain the folding landscape and lead visitors to an open court for arrival. Flanked by trees and landscape, the approach to the residence and its distant views beyond are hidden both by forest and walls, becoming larger in height and scale at entry.

These stone walls, constructed of locally quarried split boulders become the central spine of the design. While defining a generous sense of place, they conceal the house for discovery and provide a datum for which the residence’s rooms can be sited.  The house though concealed, is prefigured by a series of floating roofs above. They orchestrate the visitor’s passage from a lower level entry forecourt through the stone walling. The scale borders on the epic, eliciting a sense of landscape rather than of the domestic house and shed.

Upon entry, white canopies float above, sheltering and connecting two building wings. A central courtyard punctuates them, with each space carefully positioned to take advantage of the panoramic views of the coast.  The magic of river and ocean become a revelation from the courtyard, its view framed by a feature site wall against the backdrop of its quarried walls and timber-lined canopy.

The roofs are transformed from a gesture at entry to expansive planes, echoing the breadth of landscape beyond. The glass ribbon of highlight panels above the house’s teak lined walls, emphasise the white lined soffit, washed in a reflected light by day and an up lit glow at night .The ceilings become a floating island contrasting with the olive backdrop of bush.