‘James’ on Tooway Creek

The site is a magical natural enclave nestled between the back boundaries of a number of traditional house lots on James St and rolling down to Tooway Creek which is a natural tributary from Currimundi. It was formerly owned by a family who had been there for 3 generations and built a home which was not suitably positioned or in proper condition to be salvaged or repurposed. 

The brief was for a practical family home for a family with 3 daughters of various ages that embraces the natural assets of the site. In particular 3 large scribbly gums were to be maintained and celebrated with the eventual built form. The program is contained in 2 storeys to minimise the footprint area on ground, with garage, laundry, living and kitchen on the ground floor, and 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a separate retreat space for the kids on the upper floor. The form is essentially a skewed U-shape which ‘hugs’ a central landscaped area which flows down the site to the creek. The width of any part of the home is kept to one room wide where possible to maintain maximum cross breeze, natural light, and visual connection to the landscape.

There are a series of double height void spaces in the plan which frame views of the large trees and reinforce connection with the natural setting. The first of these is at the front entrance which creates a dramatic introduction to the house and also promotes immediate interaction & connection between both floor levels. The skewed plan arrangement is reinforced by the angular shape of the swimming pool, and echoed in the double storey entrance portal.