The Saddle House is situated on a working horse stud, nestled between two coastal mountains on the NSW mid north coast. The architect Dylan Wood who designed the project sadly passed away halfway through the construction. Dylan worked with Austin McFarland Architects for a number of years as a graduate architect and asked us to take over the project shortly before his death to help complete the detailed construction design. The complexities of the design needed to be interoperated by us and having worked with Dylan on many projects, we with the builder believe we successfully complete Dylan’s vision and brief.
The new house was designed to accommodate multiple generations of the family while living, working and visiting the property. The brief was to have a single bedroom wing which could be expanded as needed to accommodate family and guests. The eastern wing consists of the primary living areas; the kitchen with pantry, dining, living, guest toilet, study and master bedroom with walk in robe and ensuite. The western wing has the mudroom/laundry, family room, 3 additional bedrooms one with an ensuite, bathroom and seperate toilet.
The house sits over the original 1970s dwelling’s foundations. The main driveway entrance to the house was re-routed to arrive at the back of the house, creating a protected courtyard and concealing the dramatic views over the property. The garage is sunken into the southern mountain, removing the dominance of the car from the entry experience and the adjacent National Park. The bridge garden connects the garage to the house, forming a stunning curved concrete soffit entrance. This entrance space divides the house into the two wings and offers the visitor the first framed view back over the property and valley beyond.
The northern aspect is open, allowing natural light throughout the space. The southern side defines the private spaces. The internal experience is simultaneously the open expansive northern view and a grounded intimate glimpse south towards the National Park. The planning incorporates passive solar design, taking advantage of the mild Mid North Coast climate. These first principals are supported by the house being completely off grid serviced by a 50,000L concrete water tank, 20kw solar system with battery storage and onsite managed sewer system.
The joy of this house is not only in it's functional planning but how the three dimensional form with it’s pallet of colours, textures and finishes interacts with the surrounding landscape. The iconic curved window is a place to sit and be nestled within the form, extending your experience of inhabiting the house.
Throughout the design and construction of the project, an unwavering dedication to the beauty of the site spearheaded. The placement and openness of the home was pivotal in this, both in maximising views and minimising separation from the environment.
