Combining a sensitive approach to nature with mindful spatial efficiency, this house is uniquely of its place and time.

It acknowledges the complexity of creating a new climate-resilient home in the World Heritage-listed Greater Blue Mountains Area.

Responding to the site’s ecology and challenging conditions, increasing climate risks, and a desire for flexibility and adaptability, the home transcends multiple constraints to demonstrate how we can protect and regenerate the environment that sustains us.

The house is grounded by a “nature-first” ethos: positioned near the site’s base – and elevated above the fragile hanging swamp – this approach protects the nearby creek and surrounding landscape.

The compact footprint conforms to the slope with a plan that features moveable walls. Rooms function as living, bedroom, office and study spaces; these are easily reconfigured for a day, a season or years.

Frequently occupied spaces face north while service areas and bedrooms face south, maximising winter solar heat gain and harnessing summer shade, and optimising for wind protection, views and vistas.

The project epitomises sustainability best practice across three domains:

Design with Country
• Innovative foundation system: minimises soil disturbance, reduces overall impact;
• Regeneration of hanging swamp: protects local ecology
• Unfenced bush garden: reintroduces threatened local plants.

Design with Climate – bushfire, storms, heat
• Staggered building position: ensures privacy, reduces fire spread risk;
• Redundant fire defence layers: lined and enclosed sub-floor, material selection and construction, rooftop sprinkler system for fire prevention and evaporative cooling in heatwaves, dedicated firefighting tanks;
• Roof form: deflects prevailing winds, re-captures water for continuous sprinkler use.

Environmental Performance:
• Solar passive design: minimises mechanical cooling and heating;
• Solar PV system 5.6kW: renewable energy;
• 90% of materials locally sourced: lower embodied carbon
• Prefabricated, modular components: construction speed, waste minimisation, cost effectiveness.

Demonstrating humility for this sensitive environment – and advancing regeneration – this house boasts a strong commitment towards ecological restoration.

Photography by Brett Boardman