Designed by Archterra Architects

Located in an existing clearing within a section of remnant Marri/Jarrah bushland, this owner-built bush pavilion designed by Archterra Architects seeks to distil into built form, the feelings of camping under a simple sheltering tarpaulin...

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Native Garden

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Rammed Earth, Plywood, Concrete Floors, Timber Deck, Pendant Lighting, Sliding Glass Doors, Dining Areas, Lounge Suites

Diagrammatically, the houses' simple rectangular plan is separated east-west into sleeping and living zones and delineated by a change in floor level and a thick rammed earth wall that continues through the house into the outdoors. The rammed earth wall also defines the entry approach from the detached vehicle parking area.

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Fireplaces, Rammed Earth, Plywood, Concrete Floors, Louvre Windows, Timber Deck, Sliding Glass Doors, Exposed Rafters, Lounge Suites

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Plywood, Concrete Floors, Timber Deck, Pendant Lighting, Sliding Glass Doors, Dining Areas

All rooms face to the north to take advantage of the warming winter sun, except the main bedroom which turns to face the southwest views and enjoys spectacular sunsets filtered through the vertical trunks of the surrounding tree canopy.

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Louvre Windows

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Plywood Kitchen, Rammed Earth, Plywood, Concrete Floors, Pendant Lighting, Sliding Glass Doors

The single bathroom enjoys the same orientation as the main bedroom and opens onto the bush via a glass door to give the experience of showering outside.

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Bathrooms, Showers, Basins

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Plywood, Timber Floors, Bedrooms

Two decked areas provide alternative ways to experience the outdoors – one open overhead for winter sun and star gazing to the north and a covered deck to the east for rain and sun protection.

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Plywood, Sliding Glass Doors, Exposed Rafters

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

The roof plane rises up to the north to provide a view of the sky and treetops through cedar framed clerestory windows that provide a warm and tactile contrast to the clear anodised sliding door frames.

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Plywood, Timber Deck, Sliding Glass Doors, Native Garden

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes

Taking cues from the Californian case study houses of the '40s, '50s and '60s, a 3.6 metre structural grid locates prefabricated steel frames that enabled the main support structure to be erected in a day and for infill timber framing to be subsequently carried out by the owner-builder within these frames under the sun and rain protection of a single plane roof.

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Outdoor Areas

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Plywood, Louvre Windows

The galvanised steel framing is expressed both internally and externally, creating a repetitive rhythm along the north and south elevations. The mottled patina of the galvanising continues to change as it ages.

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Joinery, Plywood, Timber Floors, Eames Chairs

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Water Collection

Environmental sustainability is intrinsic to the design: passive measures such as northern orientation, efficient cross flow ventilation paths for summer cooling and calculated eaves overhangs for warming winter sun penetration are teamed with active measures such as power self sufficiency from a 3kW ground mounted solar array, a roof mounted solar hot water heater and a worm-farm blackwater treatment system that irrigates the garden with nutrient rich water.

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Outdoor Areas, Joinery, Plywood, Concrete Floors, Sliding Glass Doors

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Outdoor Areas, Water Collection, Rammed Earth, Native Garden

All decking is recycled Jarrah, milled from large dismantled warehouse roof beams. Ceiling linings are Australian Hoop pine from plantation forests and are finished simply with linseed oil. The plywood ceiling continues outside to the decks and eaves to accentuate the indoor-outdoor feeling.

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Outdoor Areas, Native Garden

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect) Country Homes, Outdoor Areas, Timber Deck, Sliding Glass Doors

The house employs a concrete floor slab for thermal mass, which has been simply machine troweled smooth to provide a hardwearing and cost effective solution. External materials were selected to be largely self finishing to minimise maintenance: zincalume steel, rammed earth and glass.

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

Bush House by Archterra Architects (via Lunchbox Architect)

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