Marion Bay House

The massive timber wall, necessarily over-scaled to have any presence on the open hillside, elicits the visitor’s intrigue. That which is “contained” is much smaller, crisply detailed and glassy on the leeward side but does not disappoint. The panorama of landscape and ocean is both generously revealed and selectively framed.

A roof, falling consistently and gently against the slope, softly compresses the uphill, cosy family quarters, leaving the higher ceilings for the dramatic entry and living spaces.

Simultaneously, in this isolated and often hostile environment, the building must offer a sense of security and self-sufficiency. Here the sustainability features, from services to structural systems to interior finishes, are at work and remain integral to the building architecture without distraction. The big wall, clad in unfinished macrocarpa that will weather to a silver grey, remains the identity and anchor of the project – offering protection and the silent, dependable embrace within which the occupants will nestle.

– Jury citation

A thirty-year-old pine coupe (Pinus radiata) was situated north-east and east of the chosen house site and blocked a substantial portion of the seascape and coastal view. 1+2 were instrumental in proposing that the coupe be harvested so as to ensure the chosen location of the house afforded the spectacular view. After months of negotiating and organizing, the pine coupe was harvested and soon after we went on a site visit to inspect and were very surprised and delighted to find a view far more spectacular than we had ever imagined.

– 1+2 Architecture

For further coverage see Marion Bay House by 1+2 Architecture.

For a full list of awarded projects see 2011 National Architecture Awards – the winners and for more awards discussion see Rachel Hurst and Rory Hyde’s responses to the awards and the jury overview by Karl Fender.