Located south of Sydney, Australia, the Jamberoo Farm House was created by Casey Brown Architecture for clients that wanted a country home that was large enough to have private guest accommodations and large entertaining areas. The farmhouse was designed to cohabitate with the, barns, sheds and cottages on the property – all centred around an ancient Morton bay fig tree. The home is comprised of three sections that are all connected through a breezeway and all have large glass walls that overlook the views to the north of the surrounding landscape that includes views to the coast in the distance.
Aside from the expanses of glass the home is also constructed with local field stone, and Blackbutt wood. The wood is used as a traditional vertical board and batten siding left natural to slowly develop a weathered and greyed patina. This natural tone to the wood is a great compliment to the grey and rust tones of the field stone walls. The main pavilion has a wrap around curved deck that allows the indoor space to open up through large timber sliding doors for extended outdoor living when the weather permits.
The inside of the main pavilion is large and expansive. The Blackbutt wood continues on the floors, walls and ceilings and the showstopping scissor trusses are a major design feature of the large cathedral ceiling. The scissor trusses allow for a large and open plan with minimal support structures creating a space that can accommodate large groups of people. The living area has oversized couches with a collection of 3 large pendants punctuating the space. Next to the lounging area a free floating fireplace adds visual drama and beyond that is the kitchen and bar area.
The kitchen is in a central compartment in the main building with the island and bar on the side closest to the deck. It appears to be a Galley design with the vent for the stove hood piercing the central compartment and continuing up and through the roof. On closer inspection, only the cooking zone is visible from the bar, the prep and washing zones are located inside the Blackbutt wood cube, the cube is like a building within a building and is unobtrusive in appearance, blending seamlessly with the flooring and rafters.
Behind the kitchen is a hallway lit with spotlights that travels to the dining area on the other side.
The indoor dining area has a door that leads to an outdoor dining area at the back of the main building. This outdoor dining area is completely covered by the continued roofline and an large outdoor fireplace keeps the space warm at night. The two smaller zones of the home are both for sleeping. The first and middle one is the Master Suite complete with a library on the view side that is accessible and divided by the breezeway that connects all three zones. The furthest section of the building at the far end of the breezeway is the guest accommodations comprises of two bedrooms and two bathroom
The library on the other side of the Master Suite makes use of the high gabled ceiling with row upon row of books that are accessible via a library ladder that slides back and forth along the wall.
The gardens of the home are wrapped around the ancient Morton bay fig tree that is a main feature of the property. The large gnarled branches reach out and over the dense plantings while stone curbings contain the bulging perennials. Well manicured lawns curve out and around the central planting an old piece of farm equipment peaks out as a memory of the way things used to be.
On the view side of the home the large pastures of grass continue while field stone retaining walls envelope the footprint of the living spaces. The setting is one of pure bliss and it is hard to imagine anyone being able to read a book in the library without being distracted by the stunning natural setting just outside the door.
Casey Brown Architecture
