Waterfront House, Australia
- Architect:
Lindsay Johnstone Architect - Award Type:
Regional Award 1992 - Location: Overseas
Citation
Overseas - Under £200,000
The house is a modest interpretation of a traditional Australian house derived particularly from the symmetrical 'Queenslander' built on piers, with timber framing, wide verandas and corrugated iron roof.
The bushland site, covered in indigenous eucalyptus, slopes to the water's edge. For geotechnic reasons, the house is built 80m up the hillside, among the trees. The house has a strict geometric order. The polan is Palladian in its configuration, with 2.4m bays on one axis and 1.8m on the other, each enclosing two 3:4:5 triangles. A 300x300 tartan structural grid accomodates a nine-square arrangement at grid junctions to locate two or three 100x100 posts with 100 wide beams in between. The main central axis of the house, towards the lake, is orientated on the sunset on the summer solstice, 21 December.
The low thermal mass, shading and natural ventilation effectively respond to the climate. The details and materials are familiar in vernacular Australian houses and the vibrant colours are inspired by the colourful wildlife.