Bushby Residence, Just out of Albany, WA, 2015

Bushby Bowers’ clients were city-dwellers who decided on a tree-change a few years before approaching Troppo. They bought a largely conservation-bushland block in the South-West, just out of Albany. They put a deluxe-shack on it, a pre-fabricated 3-bedder, enough to accommodate everyone for holidays-down-south. But stays stretched longer-than-anticipated.  Kids became teenagers; home became office: it seemed less-than-luxe, so they decided to add-and-adapt.

They sought solar-passive design, and a broader immersion in the Bushby bush. And a master-bedroom-with-fun-bathing, an office, a place-for-wine, a hearth-or-2.

We edited that to 2 small light-weight structures, responsive to heating-and-cooling, easily placed within the untouchable-bush. A series-of-levels step away from the social-arena of the existing house to the privacy of these new ‘bowers’. On this journey a deck offers pause, a harbour-view, a party-venue, and star-gazing. A series of external stairs/landings/verandahs offers options in finding a sunny spot. ‘Tis a playground of tunnels and cubby-houses. Safe retreat, but fun, too.

In the bowers, local-granite gabion-walls provide design and thermal backbones, while the natural material-palette warms South-West greyness.

The ol-shack is downgraded to 2-bedrooms; but a resultant new fab-new gathering-hall enables for casuals to dos, holiday-mode. It’s now fitted with a great-hearth, a spacious-and-soulful centre. 

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