Out Of The Box

This modest 175m2 home has been designed for a picturesque rural property in Miranda. The site is gently sloping and enjoys views of mature trees, an adjacent pond, the surrounding hills and a distant view of the Firth of Thames beyond.

The owners brief specified a three bedroom home that was simple, contemporary and would make the most of the views offered by the site.

The response to the brief is a house made up of three separate pavilions. One for the garage, one for the two guest bedrooms and  the main pavilion accommodating the living areas and master bedroom with its own ensuite bathroom and walk-through wardrobe.

Each of these pavilions has a simple mono-pitch roof separated from the corrugated zincalume® walls by high-level clerestory glazing. This gives the impression of three partially opened tin boxes arranged on the site in a way that draws visitors towards the main entrance located in the middle of the main wing. The “hovering” nature of the roofs is accentuated at night by careful uplighting to create a truly stunning effect.

Through the main living wing the home opens to the views, duck pond and farmland to the north and northeast. Full height glazing and bifold doors blur the division between inside and out to amplify the appreciation of the rural setting. The use of full height windows throughout further enhances the connection with the site and its surroundings.

Bedrooms are arranged to the east to enjoy the morning sun and easterly views. The protruding living alcove on the northern façade is also positioned to capture the sun from dawn until dusk. The views gained from the living, dining and kitchen area focus more on
the adjacent pond to the northwest.The restrained
palette of materials
reflects the simplicity of the
home's design. The cladding
is generally horizontal
corrugated Zincalume® that echoes the rural location. Wherever the plan extends beyond the three box forms, primarily the entry and living area, the cladding is changed to cedar weatherboards to avoid contamination of the central box concept. Glazing to the clerestories accentuates the opening box idea while creating a transparency through which the farmland beyond can be appreciated.

The use of polished concrete floors  continues the simple theme and also acts as a thermal heat-sink capturing the heat of the sunlight  to be released during the evening to provide a comfortable and consistent temperature in the home.

While this home is not a traditional “country house” it is a design that sits very comfortably into it's surroundings and gives the owners a unique opportunity to be intimately aware of their rural setting from every aspect of the house.