Sapling at Rosby is a contemporary, off-grid, art-based farm stay building that respects the existing suite of earth buildings on a working vineyard and cellar door property in Mudgee, NSW. A new award-winning, rammed earth cellar door and gallery was built on the property in 2020, and the new farm stay building takes many cues from the existing, contemporary structure. Sapling at Rosby is an art-based farm stay experience and features a regular rotation of works by Australian Artists.

The roof of Sapling rises to salute the vineyard, a formal gesture of recognition to where it all started, while also welcoming visitors arriving from the parking area and opening up the building to the distant valley views beyond. The three steel portal frames reference the 3 owners of the property, while the rammed earth walls respect the alignment and materiality of the historic earth buildings. Sapling at Rosby is located in Sapling Gully, a historic valley referenced in numerous Henry Lawson stories.

The building is entirely off-grid, relying on 8.8kw of solar panels with 18.8kw battery storage and 43,000L rainwater storage servicing the building and bushfire requirements. Large overhangs shade the Northern and Western facades, while new trees further shade the low western sun in summer. All timber used for the building was sustainably sourced Spotted Gum hardwood, which will grey over time. Spotted gum windows and doors were all manufactured locally, and high-level operable louvres and operable windows can be opened at night for night purging via natural ventilation. The insulated rammed earth was constructed by our builder, Penney Constructions, who lives less than 2 km from the site, creating a very low embodied energy building. Thermal mass is incorporated through rammed earth and a polished concrete slab, and this is managed via opportunities for natural ventilation.

Photography: Amber Creative