1+2 Architecture acknowledges the Palawa people as the traditional custodians of lutruwita, the lands on which our company is located and where we conduct our business. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present. We are committed to honouring Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society.
Marion Bay House
LOCATION + TRADITIONAL COUNTRY
The Palawa, Marion Bay, Tasmania
CLIENT
Private
STATUS
Built (2011)
AWARDS
2011 AIA National Residential Architecture - National Commendation 2011 AIA TAS - Residential Architecture Award
2011 AIA TAS - People’s Choice Prize
media
Sandcastles TV Program (S02E06)
Houses I Love (2012), pp.8-13
Inspire Australian National Architecture Awards 2011, p.103
Houses (Issue 82), pp.90-96
National Architecture Awards (Nov/Dec, 2013), p.56
H+G Magazine (Feb 2013)
PHOTOGRAPHY
Set within the rural landscape of Tasmania’s south-east, this project was commissioned by a family seeking a modest holiday retreat immersed in nature. Their brief spoke of a dwelling that would provide comfort and shelter yet provide a deep connection to the changing moods of its extraordinary environment.
Their appreciation for simplicity, craftsmanship and natural materials informed the project from the outset. The result is a carefully considered response that balances the practical demands of a holiday home with a strong sense of place, identity and connection to the Tasmanian countryside.
KEY COLLABORATORS
+ Builder:
Davis & Dobson Builders
+ Structural Engineering:
Aldanmark Consulting Engineers
+ Geotechnical Engineering:
+ Building Surveyor:
+ Land Surveyor:
Place
The site presented an expansive landscape shaped by agricultural use, and invited a response informed by climate and distant views. A concept emerged that referenced the form, materiality and economy of local rural structures. A folded timber ribbon became the organising device, grounding the dwelling within its setting while imbuing a distinctive architectural presence. Openings were strategically positioned to frame views, capture sunlight and provide shelter from prevailing southerly conditions. This synthesis of context and rural vernacular produced a design that is both highly specific to its site and quietly expressive.
Process
The house creates a place of refuge within an exposed landscape. A lightweight timber structure, clad in rough-sawn macrocarpa board-and-batten, draws on rural building traditions while expressing a refined contemporary character. Chosen for its economy and material honesty, the unfinished timber will weather to silver-grey, allowing the house to settle into its surroundings over time.
An oversized wall at the entry extends beyond the house and back into the hillside, giving the modestly scaled dwelling a strong architectural presence within the vast landscape. Continuous bands of glazing capture northern sunlight and distant views, extending living spaces onto a semi-enclosed deck. Inside, warm whites, natural timbers and carefully selected Danish furniture establish a calm, welcoming atmosphere, balancing the ruggedness of the landscape with understated simplicity.
Impact
This project demonstrates how a small dwelling can achieve a meaningful presence through restraint, clarity and connection to context. By drawing upon local building traditions and responding directly to climate and landscape, the house establishes a timeless and enduring architectural identity - a framework for experiencing Tasmania’s rural environment in a considered and immersive way.
Awards + Jury Citation
“The massive timber wall, necessarily over-scaled to have any presence on the open hillside, elicits the visitor’s intrigue. That which is ‘contained’ is much smaller, crisply detailed and glassy on the leeward side but does not disappoint. The panorama of landscape and ocean is both generously revealed and selectively framed.
A roof, falling consistently and gently against the slope, softly compresses the uphill, cosy family quarters, leaving the higher ceilings for the dramatic entry and living spaces.
Simultaneously, in this isolated and often hostile environment, the building must offer a sense of security and self-sufficiency. Here the sustainability features, from services to structural systems to interior finishes, are at work and remain integral to the building architecture without distraction. The big wall, clad in unfinished macrocarpa that will weather to a silver grey, remains the identity and anchor of the project - offering protection and the silent, dependable embrace within which occupants will nestle”.
