Tag Archives: Tasmania

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Home Tour: ‘Greenhouse’ In Hobart, South Tasmania

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The Local Project (January 13, 2023) – Renovating an old house in Hobart, Bence Mulcahy added a two-storey extension made of glass and steel. Named Greenhouse, the structure replaces a 1980s iteration in a manner that best engages the nearby veranda, courtyard and garden.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Cloudy Bay 00:12 – Introduction to the Greenhouse 00:53 – The Brief for the Renovation 01:19 – House Tour of the Home 02:16 – The Sandstone Base of the Building 02:30 – The Lower and Upper Floor of the Extension 03:15 – The Exterior of the Greenhouse 03:25 – The Interior Materials Chosen 03:48 – The Furniture and Furnishing of the House 04:50 – Cloudy Bay

Located in the Hobart suburb of Mount Stuart, Greenhouse forms a contemporary addition to a red brick, Federation-style Italianate home. The new volume looks out onto the Derwent River and is supported by a veranda and a well-established garden complete with plants, trees and sandstone retaining walls. Bence Mulcahy identifies the key to renovating an old house is relating the extension to the main building – Greenhouse mirrors the scale of the existing dwelling, proposing a strong sense of verticality.

A house tour of the dream home begins at the formal entry space and transitions into the main hall. Beyond lies the beginning of the extension. The process of renovating an old house sees the final extension enclose the dining room, kitchen and an extra eating area. Upstairs, the addition houses an ensuite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe. Ample glazing then allows the home to borrow visual space from the external landscape.

Bence Mulcahy takes a seasoned approach to renovating an old house, inserting voids in order to manage the sense of privacy. A two-storey void is left over the dining room, whilst a separate alcove of the same size is located above the upstairs ensuite. Creating a glasshouse structure using a combination of glass and steel, Bence Mulcahy pays homage to a greenhouse inspiration. The durable nature of the material palette is particularly relevant to renovating an old house, promising an enduring outcome.

Internally, copper sinks and a copper island bench complement a wax-sealed timber floor and array of curated soft furnishings. Utilising the skills of local craftsmen, Bence Mulcahy does justice to the personal nature of the home. Greenhouse stands as a lesson in house renovation and embraces the tranquil quality of its natural surrounds.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Home Tours: ‘House At Otago Bay’ In Tasmania

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The Local Project (December 27, 2022) – Taking a house tour inside a home made entirely from local and sustainable building materials, Topology Studio offers a rare insight into how a structure becomes one with its surrounds.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Sustainable Home 00:30 – The Architect and The Home Owner 01:00 – The Location 01:19 – A Walkthrough of the Sustainable Home 01:40 – Expanding Spaces Through Shapes 02:27 – A Seamless Connection of Inside and Outside 02:47 – A Home that Sits Quietly and Calmly 03:00 – Using Local Manufacturers 03:21 – Maximising the Benefits of the Natural Elements 04:01 – An Entirely Electric Home 04:13 – Climate Change Impacts and Planning for the Future 04:48 – Minimising Footprints

Sitting atop the land, House at Otago Bay looks out toward the bay and as far as Mount Wellington – offering the owners a home that is flush with the landscape. Modest upon arrival, House at Otago Bay is positioned at the end of the drive with its back towards neighbours and its front facing the opposite bush reserve.

Made of locally sourced bricks, bushfire-resistant timber and glass, the home’s design showcases a passion for building sustainably for the present and future. Entering the home at the main living level, Topology Studio has designed the space to open and focus on unrivalled views of the bay. Though sitting on a narrow site, the insertion of unique architectural and design choices inside a home, such as the continuous curved ceiling, help the home to branch outwards and avoid being marginalised by frames. Stairs that sit off to the side lead down to the lower ground floor, in which a bedroom and ensuite have been partially set into the foundation of the home, offering a distinctive view out across the grass and towards the water’s edge.

With a seamless connection that isn’t often seen inside a home, the external façade blurs the lines between inside and out and adds a layer of connection to the surrounding environment. Sitting quietly and calmly upon the land, the architects have chosen to use tones that reference the rocks, water and greenery of the landscape. Using locally sourced and produced materials inside and out took away the need to import from overseas, avoiding unnecessarily increasing the home’s carbon footprint during construction.

After specifying the Tasmanian brick, Topology Studio positioned the building to maximise sunlight during winter and shield the inside during the summer, while also taking advantage of the expansive views. To cater to the changing temperature inside a home, the masonry and concrete floor provide a high level of thermal mass through the seasons and take away the need for external heating technology.

House at Otago Bay is supplied electricity by the solar panels on the boat house – taking away any need for gas and minimising running costs and impact on the environment. Though inside a home can be thought of as sustainable, Topology Studio has taken the extra step to respect the environment by providing robust materials across both outside and inside – proving that homes can provide longevity for its owners in sustainable and eco-friendly ways

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Home Tours: The ‘Dolphin Sands Studio’ In Tasmania

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The Local Project – At the end of an undulating path is Dolphin Sands Studio, a small cabin that floats atop the dunes and looks out to The Hazards mountain range and the Peninsula beyond. From the open deck of the cabin, the doors open up to the main living spaces of the studio cabin.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Tiny Cabin on a Hidden Beach 00:31 – The Location of Dolphin Sands 00:45 – A Walkthrough and Around the Cabin 01:04 – The Spacial Components 01:24 – Conceived as a View Finder 01:59 – Utilising as Few Materials as Possible 02:20 – Room for Two 02:48 – Providing Protection 03:05 – The Triangular Form 03:28 – The Architects Proud Moments

Consisting of a kitchen, living space and bedroom – with an adjacent bathroom – the cabin home holds everything the occupants need in one space. Located on a hidden beach in Tasmania, Australia, Dolphin Sands Studio by Matt Williams Architects has been conceived as a viewfinder – giving the occupants unmatched views across the bay. Completing the architecture and interior design, the architect worked alongside the builder to consider how the triangular form of the remote cabin could embrace its surroundings.

This was done by employing a large south-southeast facing window and using as few materials as possible to create a calm space for the occupants. Built on an exposed site, Dolphin Bay Studio embraces its surroundings by inserting itself as one with the landscape. Conceived as a solid tent, the cabin home allows for protection from the elements while maintaining an immediacy with the landscape.

Employing sustainable materials, Matt Williams Architects establishes that the materials work in tune with the weather while not taking away from the experience of living in the unique beach cabin. Capturing the golden sunrise every morning, the position of the cabin home allows the occupants to completely embrace the spectacular views and become one with the community. Though Dolphin Sands Studio is small in scale, the location and proximity to the bay brings external space for the occupants to enjoy.

With a desire to reduce the impact on the terrain, as well as flora and fauna, the architect and builder created a minimally impactful home that inserts itself into the bay. Also offering an escape from the worries of everyday life and the bustling cityscape, the cabin is a uniquely designed home that considers more than its occupants. With an offer of serenity, sustainability and waterside living, Dolphin Bay Studio pushes towards what is possible when designing and living sustainably.

Architecture, Design, Housing, Sustainability, Videos, Views

Tours: Off The Grid ‘Pine Flat Lodge’ In Tasmania

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Located on the east coast of Tasmania, Australia, Pine Flat Lodge emerges from the environment as a place of retreat and immersion. The off the grid lodge is proposed as a minimal insertion within the landscape, a simple gesture that holds the space between the pines and the expansive view beyond the site. Imbued with a sense of belonging and placemaking, the off the grid lodge was approached in a deliberate manner, with focus placed on the conservation and rehabilitation of the land.

As a response, the architecture and interior design of the lodge accentuates an outward perspective, blurring the lines between indoors and out. The off the grid lodge is comprised of a series of modules within a continuous envelope, which in turn opens out to the landscape. The communal spaces are separated by decks and continue the structure’s discourse with the external environment, while the sleeping quarters represent an intended moment of quiet and retreat. The lodge tour also highlights Pine Flat Lodge’s solar power and rainwater collection, a physical reminder to visitors to be mindful when experiencing the space and landscape.

When designing a lodge, especially one that operates off grid, sustainability must inform each component. The material of the cabin is motivated by the surrounding context – sustainably sourced timber is used throughout the off the grid lodge. The structure utilises resources in an accountable way by pursuing efficient use of materials and minimising carbon footprint while supporting local craftsman. Bespoke details feature throughout the off the grid lodge, celebrating craft and the natural environment in an authentic and sustainable manner.

Home Design, Homes, Travel, Videos

Tours: ‘Captain Kelly’s Cottage’ On Bruny Island in Southern Tasmania

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Captain Kelly’s Cottage is the story of restoring a historical home on the edge of the world. The house was finished in 2016 by John Wardle Architects for John and his wife Susan.

Having bought Waterview without knowing its history, John and Susan quickly researched the landscape and its colonial settlement. After asking neighbours and previous owners, John found out that Captain Kelly was a first-generation European Australian with convict parents. Before John and Susan intervened, the cottage had weathered multiple additions and alterations and, along the way, lost a sense of its own history.

As one of two large structures perched along the edge of the vast maritime landscape, looking out over the ocean of Storm Bay, Captain Kelly’s Cottage is steeped in architectural history. Throughout the story of restoring a historical home on the edge of the world, John Wardle Architects achieved a contemporary reading of the existing structure whilst featuring important elements of its past.

For a small and condensed project, John found the restoration challenging – to give the interior design and the architecture a present-day reinterpretation, whilst staying true to its heritage and understanding the environmental impacts and climatic conditions of being on the edge of a cliff. John also took the time to understand the responsibility of owning the Tasmanian land.

More recently, research into the pre-colonial history of the First Nation’s stewardship of the property is being undertaken, an important task John is intent on doing. As the story of restoring a historical home on the edge of the world comes to a close, John views his interventions as a curatorial restoration. The home is primarily made from timber and brick, which has been locally sourced.

Additionally, a lot of the interior design is fuelled by locally sourced elements – materials, furniture and pieces. Fabrics and objects within the interior have also been sourced by John and Susan from their international travels, evoking the essence of a maritime home on the edge of a cliff, looking out to the world beyond. Stated to have been built by carpenters from Kelly’s ship, the architecture and interior design of the home today speaks to its original identity and tells the story of restoring a historical home on the edge of the world.

Internally, a strip of paint has been removed to reveal the home’s original paint colours, exploring both the original and subsequent eras of the cottage’s existence at once. Located on Bruny Island in Southern Tasmania, Captain Kelly’s Cottage by John Wardle Architects is a significant intersection of historical eras. The cottage is the story of restoring a historical home on the edge of the world; there is an appreciation felt throughout – of its past and a celebration for its future.

Travel, Videos, Wildlife

Wildlife: The Kangaroos And Wallabies Of Maria Island, Tasmania (Video)

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Red Kangaroos are hulks – and their family is nothing to sneeze at. Don’t mess with the roo crew.

The red kangaroo or red giant kangaroo is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest terrestrial mammal native to Australia, and the largest extant marsupial. 

A wallaby is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and other countries. 

Maria Island, is a mountainous island located in the Tasman Sea, off the east coast of Tasmania, Australia. The 115.5-square-kilometre island is contained within the Maria Island National Park, which includes a marine area of 18.78 square kilometres off the island’s northwest coast.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Travel, Videos

Top Small Home Design: “LEWISHAM POD” – 430 SF Of “Pure Tasmania” (Video)

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Perched on the side of a hill in the seaside town of Lewisham, 40 minutes’ drive from Hobart, is a new little house that’s getting a lot of attention. A wealth of high-end design and curated materials deliver warmth, and an outside-in philosophy brings the rugged beauty of Tasmania’s seascape into the palette. It’s no wonder it features in this year’s TV Series Grand Designs.  

Owner Alice Hansen wanted to create a home that was small and beautiful – a celebration of what Tassie is.

“I wanted the house to let Tassie do the talking. I wanted simple lines with not too much going on so that nature could be drawn in. I wanted the house to be a shelter more than anything else. To cocoon me from the outside, but not detract from the external environment,” says Alice. “I also wanted an outdoor bath, and to be able to see the stars from my bed at night.” 

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