pavilion

living
This no-frills home in the Sunshine Coast
hinterland makes the most of cooling
breezes, sitting high over a dam

Words Francene Ridley

photography Aperture Architectural Photography

G
The home sits high over a
dam. It’s safe from flooding
due to the high elevation of
the valley.

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house profile regional queensland
In the country or on the coast,
architect Matt Cooper would use the same
tenet to guide the design of any new home:
orientation, orientation, orientation.
“In our experience, orientation is the most
important element to consider in sustainable
design – it has the largest impact,” says Matt,
of firm Aspect Architecture, based in Brisbane
and Kingscliff on the New South Wales north
coast. “The plan, 3D form, ceiling heights and
the like can all then be designed to exploit and
add to the benefits of correct orientation.”
After years of hunting for just the right site,
the client came upon a perfect patch outside
Eumundi, a township in the Sunshine Coast
hinterland. It’s 25ha of rural heaven.
“This particular site is in a beautiful piece
of country and the dam, which is continually
flushed by a small creek, was an added
attraction,” says Matt, who homed in on the
dam’s potential for water views and natural air-
conditioning.
“The house is sited over the edge of the
dam so when the wind passes across the water,
it cools as it goes and then passes through the
house as cool air.”
And if you’re shuddering to think of rising
flood waters, Matt holds steadfastly to the
decision to place the house so close to the dam.
“The dam is continually overflowing as
small creeks feed into it on the high side. The
site is still quite high in the landscape, although
this house is built in a valley within that
immediate landscape. Although the ground
might get a bit boggy, the water always gets
away. There was no need to do anything extra
to mitigate flooding.”
On this land, Matt decided upon a simple
pavilion structure, with the living area at the
centre and a bedroom on either side.
“The client was clear that two bedrooms
would be enough for their needs,” Matt says
of the basic floor plan for inhabitants that
may include, in various combinations at any
one time, two adults, two children and sundry
guests.
Matt says the pavilion idea allows the house
to function well both environmentally and
practically.
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house profile regional queensland
“The separation of the building mass
encourages cross-flow ventilation through the
building, gives great opportunities for natural
light, and allows us to control the sun to each
space more accurately. Functionally, it allows
each space its own privacy – for a modestly-
sized home, you never feel like you are on top
of each other.”
It’s a house with a simple floor plan, put
together with no-frills building methods and
materials, which means once the building
floor platform was up, there was very little
disturbance to the site during construction.
“All the natural overland water flow paths
were maintained, which was very important as
they feed into the dam with its great fauna: fish,
turtles, birds,” Matt points out.
For materials, Matt chose cladding and
flooring that would respect the rural setting.
He says the exterior zincalume wall cladding
is a long-lasting, basic building material which
aesthetically fits in well with the bush. Matt
adds that the environmental benefit of one
cladding over another when considering the D
overall project is marginal. The open plan combined
living, dining and kitchen
“The bigger impact items are orientation rooms. The hallway leads
and access to sun, breeze and natural light. For through to a bedroom
pavilion which can be closed
this house, the northeast orientation of the off from the rest of the house.
main building axis allows excellent solar access
during the morning and winter periods while
the ensuites of the sleeping pavilions act as a
buffer from the western sun.”
Some heating help is required in winter,
and that’s where the slow combustion wood
The house is sited over
stove becomes invaluable. the edge of the dam so
“The client wanted something that would when the wind passes
provide both atmosphere and the amount of
across the water, it
heat needed for the home,” Matt says. The
overall property is very large, so a fire of this cools as it goes and
size will be fed with timber already available then passes through
from fallen branches around the property or
the house as cool air.
trees that are knocked down by storms. On this
property there will be no need to ever cut down
a tree to fuel the fire.
L
The pavilion style house
encourages cross ventilation.
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eumundi Residence

Designer Sustainable Features

Aspect Architecture Water saving
— – Grohe five star water saving taps throughout
Website www.grohe.com
www.aspectarch.com – 10,000L water tank supplies all water for house
—
Builder Passive heating & cooling
N & N Webster Builders – Building orientation and articulation of building
— form allows maximum cross flow ventilation, and
Project type maximum solar admittance during winter, whilst
New building minimising solar access during summer
— – Location of windows throughout the three pavilions
Project location provides ample natural light throughout the day
Eumundi, Sunshine Coast, QLD – R2.5 ceiling insulation, R1.5 bulk insulation to
— external walls
Size
house 143 sqm, excluding decks; Active heating & cooling
land 25 hectares – Wood stove
– Ceiling fans to bedrooms and living areas

Windows & glazing

– Aluminium framed, grey tint glazing
www.gjames.com.au

Lighting
Low impact lighting
Ground Floor Plan
1 Garage 11
2 Entry Deck
J Building materials
Tropical homes need to catch
3 Kitchen – Zincalume metal roof
every breeze. The living areas
4 Living Room
in this home open completely, – Recycled timber weatherboards
5 Dining Room
6 making the most of its
6 Outdoor Deck – Zincalume metal wall cladding
location over the dam.
7 Bedroom
8 Ensuite – Spotted gum tongue and groove flooring
9 Bedroom 5
– Hoop pine plywood used in cabinets
10 Bathroom
11 Dam

7 4 Other ESD features

Envirocycle sewer treatment
www.envirocycle.com.au
8 9
3

10
2

G
The house has 10,000 litres of
rainwater storage, supplying
all its water needs.

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