What a rewarding opportunity it is to be trusted to design someone's forever home - especially if they are cherished, dear friends.
The couple, in their seventies, are the kindest, humble and most compassionate humans around. They breathe joy and enthusiasm for life at every second. They are people of the land and, more often than not, can be found in their extensive organic veggie garden.
The brief: a 90m2 home to accommodate two bedrooms, an open living, and implement sustainable materials and solutions.
The concept draws from the rural vernacular and nods to the traditional farmhouses that populate our public imaginary: the surrounding verandah, the tectonics of post and beam and their expressed connections, robust materials and finishes but ultimately, deference to its context - sitting respectfully on the land.
Passive and active design strategies will work together to promote thermal comfort all year round: the generous verandah protecting the living spaces from excessive solar heating during the hot months; large and strategic openings on the North-south axis promoting cross-ventilation; a low-emission wood burner will provide up to 8kW of heat during the cold months; and finally, the positive northern orientation will make the most of the 10kW photovoltaic array - more than enough for the couple's daily needs.
