The Studio Ilk-designed Tinderbox House is a hidden sanctuary for a family from Tasmania’s south coast that opts to coexist with its ecosystem as opposed to disrupting it.
The clients asked for a calm sanctuary that would allow an escape from professional life. The house was to be used for entertaining, albeit loudly, and was to be imagined in such a way that would allow them to do so at all hours, hence why the children’s rooms are placed in a separate pavilion to the living spaces.
Studio Ilk was aware of the site conditions due to coincidentally working with the previous owner. An excavated house with an underground cellar and tunnel to the shoreline below was all that remained. The cellar gave context and location to the build, but the practice was still tasked with how the dwelling would be orientated.
The site is a large semi-rural battle-axe block that may be exposed to extreme weather conditions, with complex biodiversity overlays and a rugged cliff-side coastline to the east and south. The house sits below the ridge of the hillside, allowing for privacy from the water, shielding from the wind and views of an expansive white gum canopy and the waterfront. The house has been designed in such a way that ensures views of the water from every room, with an influx of natural light in each room a testament to Studio Ilk’s ingenuity.
In order to maximise solar gain, the house was initially designed as an inward courtyard house. The original design didn’t meet client expectations, with some views of the water concealed. As a result, the home is imagined as a linear sequence of pavilions segmented by a number of mudstone bookend walls. Elements of the walls, concrete floors and a subfloor provide thermal massing and mitigate efficiency issues. The warm tones of the mudstone walls reflect the landscape, and informed much of the home’s tonal palette, including caramel burnished concrete floors and spotted gum timber cladding.
Given the main spaces are closed off from one another, the house performs excellently in a thermal context. The floor plan is narrow enough to afford excellent cross-ventilation through all rooms without the requirement for artificial cooling. The cantilevered pool is the focal point of the property, providing a space for both children and adults to enjoy.
Working with local subcontractors handpicked by the clients to make the project a reality, Studio Ilk has navigated a host of challenges to create an efficient, inviting home for the clients and their guests to enjoy. Durable and built to stand the tests nature will throw at it, Tinderbox House embodies the virtuosity of contemporary architecture.
