Helen Norrie: Is this the first house you have built, or the first time you have used an architect?
Hilary and Andrew Carpenter: We had three previous houses – two project homes that we built and an older house that we renovated, but we hadn’t used an architect before.
HN: What made you decide to involve an architect in this project?
HC + AC: In the early stages we were looking for something already built. However, we looked for two years and didn’t find anything. We decided that buying a block of land and building was an option, as we were a bit disappointed in the housing stock that we had seen.
In the meantime, we started talking to Ryan Strating of Core Collective Architects; we met him at the Grand Designs Live exhibition in Sydney in October 2012. We came across this block of land, thanks in no small part to Ryan, and that really put the seal on it. We loved the block of land so much that we decided to buy it and build something that fit the landscape.
HN: Did you commission Core Collective Architects immediately, or did you talk to other architects?
HC + AC: We made a point of doing the rounds of a few other architects in Hobart, and we had some initial discussions with a couple of them. In the meantime, the relationship with Ryan was maturing and we were building confidence because of this dialogue, so Ryan became our first choice.
HN: Your design discussions were also informed by a constant process of research. What were the key ideas that influenced you?
HC + AC: We were persuaded by current ideas about sustainability, insulation and solar passive design principles and we were taking an interest in the various aspects related to that. The selection of materials and the design grew out of this interest.
We were regularly going to the library and borrowing books on architecture. We’d always had an interest in architecture, particularly domestic architecture, and that interest ramped up as we started exploring the design of the house. We were inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s ideas of the organic quality of buildings and the way that they fit into the environment in which they are placed. We were also interested in ideas presented by Russell Abraham’s book Rural Modern, and in the industrial character of Tom Kundig’s buildings, particularly the reference that these projects made to the integrity of the large industrial buildings.
HN: What was the most interesting aspect of engaging with your architect?
HC + AC: Some of the ideas that were expressed by Ryan, about the process of turning an idea into reality, were very interesting. Starting with a fairly open design brief and then refining this one stage after another was a very enjoyable process. We are both interested in buildings and how they are put together and the way you can use contemporary materials in a different way to traditional building materials.
HN: How involved were you in making decisions about the materials?
HC + AC: We were fully integrated into the decision-making about the materials selection. The Clinka blocks and the Danish windows were decided on early in the process. Ryan instigated the use of steel because he had a vision of a house without traditional eaves, with a clean edge to the roofline, which was of interest to us.
In some ways, it was a leap of faith on our behalf that the design and the materials would actually pay off in terms of indoor comfort through the winter. The products we used were largely unknown to us. You can only make deductions about the information you read in the specifications – but it worked out 100 percent.
HN: How are you enjoying the house? Are there new things that you are discovering and experiencing as you live through the seasons?
HC + AC: We’ve lived here for one full year and are heading for the end of the second year. We love watching the change of the seasons, particularly the shift in the angle of the sun throughout the year as it comes into the house. We are constantly thinking about what the sun is doing, and how this is influencing the temperature inside. The house has been beautifully warm throughout the whole year. The winter doesn’t bother us at all. You can watch it in comfort – it can snow outside and it is lovely inside!
HN: What advice would you have for people about working with an architect?
HC + AC: The key thing is to get to know your architect really well and to have a good interaction with them. If you get along with your architect and they are awake to the ideas that you bring to the table, then you are going to end up with something good.
Our relationship with Ryan was pretty unique. It went beyond the professional relationship and he is a friend now. We were lucky that it panned out that way. The key is to try to find an architect that you can have an ongoing close relationship with. It’s not just a relationship based on you handing over some money and then the architect coming back with a solution. It’s more than that.
Ryan has introduced us to so many people since we arrived in Tasmania. He doesn’t just build houses, he’s a connector – he puts people together as well as buildings. He’s helped us to be more integrated in our move to Tasmania. We’ve had a wonderful time meeting local people and neighbours. We’ve got more friends here than we had in Sydney, where we lived for forty years.
Read the review of Sunnybanks House here.
