CASUARINA HOUSE

The Casuarina House is situated on a wedge shaped block in a new subdivision on the NSW North Coast. The large double height outdoor room which occupies the centre of the site, was made possible by separating the sleeping and living areas into 2 separate wings which follow the site boundaries. This strategy was developed as a way to achieve privacy from neighbours, orientate the main living area to the North (without looking onto neighbours) and to accommodate two families wishing to cohabit the house simultaneously. The shared roofline and the ‘entry bridge’ help to protect the outdoor room from the South and West, so that it can be used as a gathering space during Southerly storms and on hot summer afternoons. A vegetated swale creates a visual feature as it runs through the centre of the site, while also meeting the strict local authority requirements for stormwater.