Residential

Description

Wanting a modern yet contemporary home, nestled within coastal rainforest and walking distance to the beach, the building was designed to merge with the environment.The versatility of pole frame enabled a building to be constructed that is economical, environmentally sound, energy efficient, aesthetically pleasing, harmonious and empowering to those who pass, which was a key factor in the design.

Requirements included open living spaces with connection to both the kitchen and the outdoor living areas, which merge the exterior with the interior. In terms of layout, the house consists of two levels – ground floor level with open living area, adjoining lounge, dining room and kitchen with massive bi-fold doors that open up the entire area and allow access to a versatile outdoor entertaining and leisure area with sun-drenched living space harmonising perfectly with the outdoors.

There is no air conditioning; careful placement of windows, bi-fold doors and louvers allow for cross-flow ventilation and open up the entire living area keeping it cool in summer. Rich forest red floors throughout the open-plan home contrast with the rough surface of the grey iron bark poles that provide the home’s structure.

Ben Metcalfe says adapting the walls and curved beams into the internally exposed poles was his biggest challenge. "Basically, we had to build the home around the poles and nothing is straight in nature; they twist and bend in different ways. Also, bearers and the flooring had to be cut in around the poles."

The largest grey iron bark pole was 11 m high and 300mm in diameter at the base. All poles were sandblasted to restore their natural colour for a weathered effect .. "like timber you find on the beach," Kyleigh said.

Designer Noel Gardner of Maleny agrees that pole frame construction enables the floors of a building to be stepped up or down a slope without any excavation other than for the pole footings.

"Not only does this reduce building costs by minimising expensive excavation and concrete strip (trench) footings, but it can greatly enhance the opportunities for innovative design. It’s possible to construct far more innovative and exciting buildings on level sites than would be possible using conventional load-bearing wall construction."

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