Esuoh House
by Hofman and Brown Architects
We want you to re-invent the Yallingup holiday house, create a retreat from the everyday, a destination in itself, a getaway where you can watch a movie under the stars or sun yourself on a daybed by the pool, a striking and sophisticated ‘bunker’ that is out of the ordinary”.
This was the brief from the clients for their 2009m2 site in the heart of the south-west wine region of Western Australia. The design intent was to create a simple dwelling that exudes a resort ambience with a contemporary feel and a blend of style and comfort. The owners wanted a private retreat to suit their family with two children, a place to share with friends, a house with a difference in the luxury holiday rental market.
The site is set within bushland and connects to public open space to the east. The aim was to enjoy the connection with the adjacent bush landscape while also creating a more private “internal” connection to the outdoors, with a protected north-east “outdoor room” incorporating the plunge pool and outdoor cinema, framed by the enclosing stone walls.
The materials palette was chosen for it’s robustness, ease of maintenance, environmental performance and local flavour. The stabilised rammed limestone walls are a warm grey and combine with the waxed dado plaster, polished concrete, aluminium, glass and stone, to form a restrained but textural language for the project.
Linear in plan, the single level house comprises 8 bays of 3.6 metre wide, each separated by stabilized rammed earth blade walls. The single low pitched skillion roof collects rainwater, as the only source of water for the house. The fully glazed north elevation is shaded by a full length “verandah” that provides an indoor/outdoor transition space for the living room and each of the four bedrooms. The south, west and east elevations are predominantly solid earth walls with strategically placed “punched” openings to frame views and capture breeze. Maximum solar access, effective cross ventilation and high levels of natural daylight provide an environmentally responsive habitat.
As an integral part of the planning strategy, the linear form allowed every room to have a northern outlook, with the living zone at the east end and bedrooms to the west end. Three of the bedrooms are queen rooms, with the end room a kids bunk and play room. The house successfully accommodates a large group of adults or two families with children, with a happy balance of privacy and community.
Since completion, Esuoh has been almost fully booked as a luxury holiday retreat. The extremely positive guest reviews are testament to the fact that the owners have provided a unique and sophisticated destination, that is, indeed “out of the ordinary.
Photos by: Chantel Concei
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