Farm in Barwon Downs
2016, concept study, 180 m2, Victoria - Australia
The new owners of the 40-hectare farm in rural Victoria not only plan to spend their retirement at the property but wish to continue running it as a hobby farm. They would like to accommodate their five kids or their many friends when they visit but at the same time have a compact, easy to maintain house. Furthermore they wanted to live off the grid and as self supporting and sustainable as possible. The concept should allow for gradual future extensions like the replacement of the sheds and stables and potentially a small bed and breakfast as an extra income. And all of that on a rather tight budget.
Inspired by the classic barn, a simple wood frame construction forms the home's basic framework. Little ‘houses’ of solid construction are inserted into this 3D grid and make up the sleeping, guest and living spaces. The climatic advantages of these highly insulated solid modules are complemented by those of the greenhouses in between them.
While the solid modules provide thermal mass all year round, the greenhouses provide solar heating in winter and natural ventilation in summer. The house therefore functions as an active and natural system able to respond to extreme temperatures ranging from below 0° in winter to over 40° in summer. The sequence of transparent greenhouses and semi-open solid ‘houses’ blurs the boundaries between inside and outside, creating an open, floating space. Free-standing prefabricated interior modules further define the space and contain all essential wiring, plumbing, wardrobes, cabinets, shelving, bathroom and kitchen facilities and more, minimising building costs and time. The interior spaces extend almost seamlessly to the outside in the form of terraced gardens, some of which are for food production and water recycling. The entire modular system can be later easily extended to include guest houses, workshops, stables or other functions.
