This stunning home is perched on a sandstone cliff overlooking the Gulf Islands. Conceptually, the house consists of two elements, oblique and sliding past each other, held in statis by a bridging element that traverses the watercourse beneath. The home is further articulated by a series of water features that terrace downward through the courtyard into the middle of the house and connects to the natural watercourse below. Environmental considerations were a key element of the client’s requirements. The design has allowed for reuse of floorboards, weatherboards, steel beams and stone cladding from the original home. Rainwater is harvested and stored in a tank beneath the house. Solar energy is used for hot water heating and the joinery utilises state-of-the-art, highly insulated German profiles made from Acoya timber.

Daniel Marshall Architects