Situated on a large property in Willunga, the gradient of the site and the need to maintain two significant sugar gum trees determined the scale and location of the design. Working with the steep terrain, the house is built into the site to reduce its impact while maximising the westerly outlook to McLaren Vale and the sea beyond.
Project Name: Sugar Gum House
Studio Name: Architects Ink
Project Size: 380 m2
Site Size: 2180 m2
Completion Date: 2018
Building Levels: 2
Location: Willunga, Australia
Photography: Sam Noonan
The result is an environmentally friendly, light-filled home with a strong connection to its site, using latest technical efficiencies in heating and cooling integrated with passive principles.
The limited material palette is deliberately low-key, existing harmoniously within the rural character of its surrounds. The architectural form has a sculptural simplicity; a clean, rectangular composition of brick and glass.
The upper level lounge, dining, and kitchen open up to a large external area with integrated wood oven. Northern sun penetrates the space through a linear slot opening in the far wall and roof, a subtle but effective subtraction from the building form.