Balmy Palmy House celebrates the pleasures of modesty and the simple life. Firmly planted on a steep and rocky slope, this intimate and compact home is based in Sydney’s Pittwater and is suspended in a bushland canopy. Immersed in sunshine, trees, breezes, and birdlife, the relaxed feel invites you to recharge.

Balmy Palmy House uses design strategies to ensure optimal thermal comfort while minimising its environmental footprint. Cross-ventilation is promoted through the open-air design, with large sliding doors and highlight louvres on both sides of the home. The house is north-west facing. Careful orientation brings sunlight inside year-round, with high-performance glass helping to control indoor temperatures. Shading of the outdoor areas is provided by the tree canopies and the large roof overhang that provides covered access in inclement weather. A Tesla car charger supports electric vehicles. A rainwater tank captures water for bathrooms and irrigation systems. Although rooftop solar panels were considered, the site is heavily shaded year-round by the beautiful mature canopies, so they were ruled out. Moreover, the house is designed with no internal hallways with outdoor deck used for circulation from bedrooms to bathroom and living spaces which in turn significantly reduced the building footprint.

Photography by Murray Fredericks, Renata Dominik, Michael Lassman

Dissections
Furniture: Vampt Vintage Design. Lighting: D2E (Electrical), Light Project (fittings). Finishes: Spotted gum Bona Traffic, Spotted gum plywood Bona Traffic, Fielders Z600 HDG Corrugated Iron, FRP,316 stainless steel Jakob netting, Blackbutt Cutek clear, 6mm mill finish 316 Stainless Steel, WRC Cutek clear, 2 Pac Polyuretahne, Rectifield Tiles. Fittings & Fixtures: Winning Appliances – Bora, Fisher & Paykel, Harvey Norman Commercial – Electrolux, Miele, Oliveri, Clark, Franke, Caroma, Reece – Mizu Windoor – 152 Breezway Altair Clear Anodised gallery, Big Ass Fan – I Series.