Photographs by Ross Honeysett

Farmhouse
Bombala, New South Wales 1998

Built as a retreat for the owner on his property near Bombala, on the remote Monaro plains of southern New South Wales in Australia, approximately six hours drive south of Sydney, the farmhouse exploits beautiful bush, hillside and water views. The design for the house is derived from its setting on a gently sloping, long and narrow clearing with views to the north and south.

It is one house with two outlooks. One intimate space looks southwards to a calm hillside environment whilst the other soars, opening northwards to a view of water and the distant hills of the 3,000-acre farm. The rigorously limited palette of materials and restrained detailing focus attention on the strong abstract forms of the built elements. Unusually proportioned and gingerly touching the ground, the building is reminiscent of the utilitarian farm structures that dot the Monaro landscape.

At the earliest stage, the architects and environmental engineers evaluated local climatic data to ensure a correct understanding of the prevailing conditions. The Monaro climate is characterised by mild summers and cold, dry winters. The building relies on passive means of climatic control in the form of effective diagonal cross-ventilation across the floorplate during the summer months. Solar gains through the large expanse of north-facing glazing are generally welcome. During an exceptional summer, warmer air due to solar gain will stratify at the higher level of the house’s five-metre volume to maintain comfortable conditions below. In winter, the well-insulated building is heated via an electric underfloor heating system. During sunny winter days, the exposed concrete floor slab acts as a thermal store of heat gained from solar radiation intercepted by the large glass walls to keep the building warm through the colder nights.

Collins and Turner
Prior to the establishment of their practice, Penny Collins and Huw Turner each gained over 15 years experience internationally working with industry leaders including Foster and Partners, the Richard Rogers Partnership, Nicholas Grimshaw and Eva Jiricna Architects.

Collins and Turner’s architecture is driven by a belief that “our surroundings directly influence the quality of our lives, whether in the work place, at home, or the public spaces in-between. Moreover, the means by which our designs are built have far-reaching implications, by way of their impact on the environment.”

Collins and Turner consistently apply guiding principals of quality, sustainability, economic value and social well-being to projects of any scale. Their designs are concerned with the unique physical context of a place, sensitive to each particular local culture and climate.