Located on the banks of Tucklan Creek just before it enters the Talbragar River at Dunedoo in central New South Wales, this project had a complex brief. The client is a builder and the site already contained his workshops, as well as the old house, Rose Cottage, both of which had to be retained. The new house had to accommodate offices with separate access from the builder’s yard, living spaces large enough to host regular community gatherings, and family bedrooms that were sufficiently isolated from the hubbub. The solution was a series of pavilions. The bedroom wing is angled on the site to look northeast across the creek and catch the winter’s morning sun. The living wing faces due north, two large high-ceilinged rooms with folding doors between so they can be used as one. These two wings pivot around a central “tower” with kitchen downstairs and study above, its height clearly identifying it as the main entry point amongst all the other buildings on the site, and the upper level providing a 360o panorama over the broad plains. The office wing is located beside it, making the distinction obvious for private and business visitors, and shielding the living spaces from the yard’s noise and dust. These are all arranged around Rose Cottage which stands at the centre of the complex, and is used for guest accommodation.
