Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia - On Gundungurra Land

Finalising construction - Completion Mid to late 2025

EA house is a family home carefully crafted onto a sensitive rock cliff face escarpment in the southern highlands.

A simple elemental gesture that tests opposing emotional responses to its unique site. This gesture also solves the many overlapping constraints and challenges that exist because of the site.

It balances the conceptual ideas of wanting to be a look out tower against blending into its natural environment. It touches its site purposefully but carefully so as to have no impact on any existing flora and fauna. Its bridge provides both equitable access and is the conduit of all services to & from the building resulting in less impact on the rock face.

Private spaces all have filtered view and light creating inward focused, intimate and reflective living. Contrasted against the public spaces which are open with large curated views of the gorge beyond with a singular materiality that connects to this. Opposite from the more paired back spaces in the private and transitional spaces which are monastic, similar to la Tourette.

Planning is paired back. Public and private is opposite to the typical with the living at the lower level having a closer connection to its site. All spaces are connected by a loaded corridor expanding over two levels which slowly reveals the spatial play of the plan and slowly reveals the site to inhabitants like a story board.

The house manages many overlapping constraints like its flame zone bush fire rating, ecological constraints, energy requirements, geotechnical constraints and access caused by its incredible steep full rock building site.

Envelope selection prioritised blending into its environment at the same time as being fire & maintenance free. The roof garden has this same approach, no gutters / maintenance reducing any preparation work incase of fire. It also provides amazing internal thermal stability which the whole house performs at a very high level.

Progress Photos: Bokey Grant