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A Minimal Brown and White Timbered Australian House

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This wood-centric home is the work of an Australian architectural group that has been in the vanguard of sustainable development in Sydney for over a decade.

As both architect and builder, CplusC focused on timber to heighten the design of the Queens Park Residence.

A recycled Jarrah floorboard ceiling, reflected in the entry floor, promotes a feeling of warmth, welcome, and connection.The hallway extends through the house, like a tree trunk from which the private spaces branch out.

The design is informed by a love of timber from concept through to execution.

CplusC use cement and steel very sparingly, because of the CO2 emissions in its production. “10 tonnes of raw material is required to be mined for every one tonne of cement produced. With steel 14 tonnes of iron ore are required for 1 tonne of steel produced”.

They also spurn the use of carpet which “will last for 10,000 years in landfill, but only 6 years as carpet”, a practice they describe as ‘making landfill’ that is temporarily used as a ‘building material’.”

So their brown/white or white/brown house is whittled down to one sustainable Australian plantation timber from managed forests. They built the house in such a way as to minimize waste. Typically 30% of building materials can go to landfill.

Throughout this very consistent home, the use of the same warm timber throughout achieves a mood of clean and uplifting calm.

The wood is sourced from South Eastern forests in NSW that are generally not clear-felled, and therefore have a more sustainable regime of management compared to the Hardwood forests of Victoria or Tasmania, meeting Australian Forestry Standard requirements.

To catch every precious drop of Australian rain, the roof is a butterfly roof.

Images: Murray Fredericks
Source: Contemporist