Designed by Biotope Architecture + Interiors, backed by eucalypts, and reflected in an undisturbed lake, The Lake House is right at home in the wilds of Tasmania’s bush.
Its bespoke and holistic design was inspired by the client’s passion for sustainability, evidenced in its materials, energy-efficient technologies, and integration into its locale.
Tapping into resources from its surroundings, the warmth of stones from a nearby quarry compliments natural and recycled timber to create a single-story house that’s in harmony with the land it sits upon.
Biotope Architecture + Interiors design was driven by a desire to achieve a sustainable house that created its own energy.
Using passive design principles to maximise the heat gain, the north-facing site provided opportunities; two linear forms with the sun flooding the majority of the rooms came to mind.
The design team’s challenge was to follow the contours of the land, thereby splitting the building wings into two levels, and stepping the forms down the site.
This staggered the corridor and more intimately connected the bedrooms and living spaces.
To the south in the bedroom wing, the light is filtered by eucalypts hovering above artful skylights.
And to the west in the living wing, the daybed provides glimpses of the lake and the bush beyond.
In collaboration with the traditional farmhouse architecture, the Biotope Architecture + Interiors design team incorporated a network of heat and energy systems.
A geothermal heat pump with ground loop pipes in the lake supplies energy for the home’s hydronic heating system.
And 72 photovoltaic panels provide enough energy to release excess back into the grid.
The Lake House acts as the meeting point for sustainable practice and natural beauty, reminding us what’s possible when we work with, not against, the Earth.
Project Details
Project Size – 390 m2
Site Area – 130,400 m2
Completion Date – 2019
Building Levels – 1
Project Team
Architecture
Biotope Architecture + Interiors
Biotope adopts a holistic approach to designing buildings. From homes with minimal impact on the ecology of a site and discreet additions that complement existing structures, to bespoke interiors crafted through collaborations with local makers, their designs focus on context and seek to enhance the connection to site through carefully considered spatial composition.
Photography
Peter Mathew
Peter is a well-established commercial photographer based in Hobart, Tasmania.
Photo Gallery
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Design © 2022 Biotope Architecture + Interiors. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2022 Peter Mathew. All Rights Reserved.
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