FOREST HOUSE

FOREST Forest House, Albany, Australia

smar-architects.com 35 Stirling Highway, 6008 Crawley Western Australia

Forest House Albany, Australia

by Smar

The Design decisions come from the site and from an understanding of the briefing through the sensitivity to nature of the client.

From this reading, we have tried to answer the five most important issues for the project:

1. Minimum impact on the land / elevated house: Raising the house on steel legs allows to maintain the permeability and the regime of terrain runoffs -in at least 80% of the project area.

Forest House

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2. Take advantage of the slope, elevation and vistas: The Main House takes advantage from its elevation and is raised on spidery steel legs

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Raising the house on steel legs allows to maintain the permeability and the regime of terrain runoffs -in at least 80% of the project area.

Forest House

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The Main House is placed in the highest point taking advantage from its elevation and vistas raised on steel legs emerging from the sloping ground.

Bed and Breakfast roomsand Garage occupy separate small wings near the bottom of the site.

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emerging from the sloping ground, allowing views of the treetops and the ocean.

3. Integration with the existing; Trees and Rocks / Preservation of all native trees: The arrangement of volumes looking for a geometry filling the clearings to preserve all the trees and, therefore, the continuity of the mechanical reinforcement of the substratum and the habitat of the pine treetops.

Forest House

4. Amplify the experience of the site and views: hear, see and feel / Floating house: The house floats and glows, seemingly on the verge of bursting out from its site. It’s placed on the ground, but appear to be floating in the air above the ground surface, as if on the verge of leaving its site. It aspires to the freedom to pass beyond its site. This allows the house, to get closer to the treetops and the birds, hearing and breathing nature with greater intensity.

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Materiality: Perched on the eastern downslope hillside lot of the West Cape peninsula with views of a wide bay below, it is made of a steel frame filled in with corrugated metal, glass, and timber.

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Forest House

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Concept

5. Sustainability: The response derives from a sustainable understanding of the dialogue with Sun, Air and water. Roof: Its geometry collects rainwater and protects from the sun.Air is breathable through faces with ventilation openings. Water collection: water is piped from low points to a series of 50kl storage tanks. Household use: water is used for the kitchen, sinks, shower and garden.

External use: A portion of rainwater is reserved for use by the fire service. Black and grey water will be used after treatment for reticulating the garden through a recycling system: 50% of household water is recycled.

Forest House

Date: 2014 Architecture: SMAR Client: Michael Ward Description: Housing Area: 850 m2

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Status: On going

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Forest House

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