The islands off the main coasts of Australia have for decades been playgrounds for architects to explore distinct and innovative ideas of home. Here, we round up five houses that make the most of the wilderness on Tasmania’s Bruny Island.
Shearer’s Quarters by Wardle
On the northern tip of Bruny Island is this home to architect John Wardle. One of a number of structures at Wardle’s Waterview property, the house replaces an original shearing shed that was destroyed in a fire in the 1980s. It is a single-volume living space with three other rooms designed to accommodate family, friends, shearers and people on retreat.
Bruny Island Cabin by Maguire and Devine Architects
Bruny Island Cabin by Maguire and Devine Architects.
Image:
Rob Maver
This cabin is nestled in the hills of the island on a large bush property. With a choice of sites, including ones with view to the coast, the client, along with Maguire and Devine Architects chose a calm place among the eucalypts for this small cabin to escape the “real” world. Completely off-grid, the cabin celebrates the Tasmanian landscape and simple pleasures.
Coopworth by FMD Architects
Coopworth by FMD Architects.
Image:
©2021 Dianna Snape, reproduced from “Architecture at the Heart of the Home” published by Thames & Hudson Australia.
On South Bruny, this simple farmhouse sits on a property that also houses the Coopworth breed of sheep, hence its name. Designed for a couple that split their time between Bruny and their second home in Victoria, the house can easily expand to accommodate 10 or more people inside its shed-like container.
Killora Bay by Lara Maeseele in association with Tanner Architects
Killora Bay by Lara Maeseele in association with Tanner Architects.
Image:
Adam Gibson
Killora Bay is a labour of love for a couple who built their small holiday home on the western side of the island. Designed by Lara Maeseele in association with Tanner Architects, the house was subject to many environmental, energy and bushfire controls that resulted in a trapezoid-like plan with two primary zones split by a generous deck.
Apollo Bay by Dock4
Apollo Bay House by Dock4.
Image:
Adam Gibson
In this addition to an existing shack, the architects created a distinctive new A-frame form that created a second storey and drew the living spaces closer to the adjacent bushland. It cleverly exaggerates the existing roof form to create volume, drama and a dialogue with the surrounding landscape.
