Designed by Australia’s Room 11 Architects, this all-weather house is set on top of a graceful hillside in the naturally dramatic island region of Tasmania. Its architecture takes on vastly different forms on each side due to the windy nature of its surroundings, opposite edges opposing entirely in design. However, the clean black finish and angular design keeps the home relatively homogenous, and the change from minimally closed-in to open and airy happens gradually over side walls. The house is built around a central outdoor courtyard, providing transit space between two cutout indoor/outdoor rooms. Where windows are practical, they’re large, providing sweeping views of mountains for miles around. Impressively elegant and modern, this residence is perfectly made for its environment.
From some exterior angles, the house looks minimal and closed in, but from others it seems glass-filled and airy. This side of the building is a balance of both, with a combination of windowless panels, traditional rooms, and built-in decks.
Another side of the house reveals a much taller and more clear-faced edge, with more than a dozen windows of various sizes. This edge faces away from most regional winds and overlooks the hillside as well, making it the perfect choice for glass area.
On the opposite end, an extremely minimal, weatherproof facade prevails. A wood-lined carport bisects one half of the structure, leading into a central courtyard.
The pebbled courtyard, containing four small trees, forms the chief passageway between the driveway, kitchen, and a covered outdoor living area. A rooftop deck above is accessible via interior rooms.
The living area is in the form of a deck, with a roof of spaced wood slats and a fireplace sunken into one wall.
The sunny-weather recreational space features breathtaking mountain views straight out one open-air side. A subtle doorway in the wooden wall leads to the rooms separated from the rest of the house by this room and the carport.
The fireplace assembly contains storage for well-cut logs, and a low mantle that could also double as a bench when a fire isn’t going.
Though the true indoor rooms of the home feature much less wood than the carport and open living room do, they still have occasional nods to that natural material in the form of furniture like this picnic-style kitchen table.
The most central major room of the house, its kitchen, features nearly handleless cabinetry. In addition, each fixture is raised above the floor or hung below the ceiling slightly with metal legs.
Room 11 Architects
