This house was designed for a young family who was looking for a simple lifestyle on a rural property where they could indulge their passion of horses. The home located on an acreage in the Adelaide Hills is surrounded by land that has been farmed for generations. Old farm buildings, generally clad with corrugated steel are still common in the area. The simple form and materials used reflect the homes rural context. The corrugated steel cladding is used vertically as is common on utilitarian farm buildings. The dark grey colour allows the home to recede into the landscape and the use of timber and stone walling in the garden adds warmth and helps tie the home to the site.

What was the brief?

The brief was for a home designed for ‘simplicity’ – for ease of construction and for ‘an ongoing goal of simplicity in living’. The design aimed to make a real connection with the surrounding landscape, capturing the long views to the south, the shorter views across the horse paddocks to the north, and providing an immediate indoor/outdoor connection. The creation of outdoor rooms for entertaining to both the north and south, providing a choice for use at different times of the day and year was integral to the design. High level glazing under the roof plane creates the illusion of a floating roof, allowing glimpses of the sky and the large overhang to the north provides protection from the summer sun while allowing the winter sun to penetrate deeply into the home.