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Project posted by Bare Architects

Nullaki House

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Spotted Gum bifold doors to protect from rain, wind, and bushfire.
Spotted Gum bifold doors to protect from rain, wind, and bushfire.
In a modest 150sqm (including the deck) the cabin sleeps 10.
In a modest 150sqm (including the deck) the cabin sleeps 10.
Main Bedroom, no internal connection to the rest of the house. You need to walk outside, onto the deck (and feel the elements) to walk between the two spaces.
Main Bedroom, no internal connection to the rest of the house. You need to walk outside, onto the deck (and feel the elements) to walk between the two spaces.
Generous Outdoor Living - 'humorously large in comparison to the interior'.
Generous Outdoor Living - 'humorously large in comparison to the interior'.
Outdoor Bathing reminiscent of an onsen, an ode to the client's Japanese influence.
Outdoor Bathing reminiscent of an onsen, an ode to the client's Japanese influence.
Kitchen
Kitchen

Credits

From Bare Architects

The Nullaki is a remote peninsular in the Great Southern Region of Western Australia. The original owners of this land are the Menang cultural group of the wider Noongar region. Stretching out like a wing, the Nullaki shields the town of Denmark from the Southern Ocean, gbearing the brunt of weather fronts as they are thrown towards the mainland. Our client is custodian of 42 hectares on the Inlet side of the Nullaki.

The block is zoned conservation, like much of the area, requiring a specialised flora and fauna report to ensure no endangered species or habitats would be affected by the development. The brief entailed a holiday home that, along with friends and family, could be freely enjoyed for generations. Immersed in nature yet with comfort.

The rectilinear form, a tip of the hat to neighbouring farm buildings, is lifted off the ground allowing movements of land, water, and earth to remain undisturbed. We managed to fit two bedrooms with a loft each, a full master suite, an open kitchen, dining, living, a mudroom, bathroom, and a generous outdoor living into a modest 150sqm footprint. The house pivots around a central double-sided fire. This centralised mass, awards the fire the same value as if the inhabitants were camping. Circulation, dining, food preparation, reading and discussions, all visually intwined by flames, bonded by the duty of feeding them. The interior is warm, lined with plywood and painted green walls, anchored by Jarrah flooring. Windows are double glazed with bronze anodized frames, touching on 70s holiday home nostalgia. The house is entirely off grid with a solar powered supply system. Rainwater is harvested from the roof with dominating, custom fabricated gutters, and downpipes, celebrating the journey of water with both size and colour as it passes through with plenty of room to swish and gurgle.

The family holds Japanese heritage, and spent a large portion of their life in the country. From an early point, we bonded over a mutual respect and admiration for Japanese architecture. With this influence, the Nullaki house fundamentally encourages a minimalist way of life, connected to landscape.