Designed by Max Pritchard , the clients required a permanent home/office on their small property, located one hour’s drive from Adelaide. The budget was comparable with a “prefabricated” dwelling or an “off the plan” developers design , approximately $220,000. According to the architect: “An idyllic site of winter creek, billabong, large river red gums, dense wattles and rocky banks called for a house that would “touch the earth lightly”. The solution, a narrow bridge like structure spanning the creek providing the experience of living amongst the trees in an almost untouched beautiful setting. Winter sun through the north facing windows heats the black concrete floor for reradiaiton at night. A wood combustion heater supplements the natural passive heating. Double glazing to the living area helps retain the heat. Perforated steel louvres shade the north windows in summer. The narrow plan form allows cross ventilation and is combined with ceiling fans to provide sufficient cooling for summer comfort. Solar hot water heating and photovoltaic cells positioned on the garage roof compliment the sustainable character of the house.”
