Stradbroke Island - The Treehouse

Nestled in the trees away from the road, the 'Treehouse' adds a unique aspect to the "Straddie" experience. With stunning views over the Pacific Ocean, an open plan layout and featuring extensive use of timber and glass, the house is designed to take full advantage of the spectacular views and the bushland setting creating an inviting indoor/outdoor ambience.

Our clients approached us, with an 800m2 parcel of land, which they wanted to develop. The block, which had an existing house, which was to be retained, located at the front was very steep and densely vegetated. The clients' intent was to build a unique house, located at the rear of the site on 371m2, nestled within the existing trees, targeted at couples to be used as a weekender or permanent residence.

The site provided numerous constraints to the design and construction of the house. The constraints included, existing trees that were to be kept as they formed part of the beauty of the site, a very steep, typically 1 in 4 grade, difficult access and the need to provide privacy to the living areas as it was to be located very close to adjoining properties. We also had to ensure that the cut into the site was as minimal as possible, in order to respect the land and 'minimise our footprint'. Our challenge was to design and build a functional and liveable house with a small footprint that fitted within these trees, a footprint that maintained privacy, whilst maximising the views and the aspect, that didn't impact too much on the site.

The resulting 'Treehouse' spans over three levels of luxury with corrugated iron, recycled timber, glass features and beautiful bamboo floors, 'Treehouse' is a unique piece of architecture. The house is also fitted with AAA taps and fittings, which reduce average water consumption considerably, helping us manage the use of this valuable resource. Flooded with natural light and ventilation, the focus of the house is on the beautiful site and its form.

The three levels are linked via a dramatic circular steel stair, enclosed within a frame of timber battens and clear polycarbonate sheeting. Encouraging the feeling of being at one with nature, this stair transforms during summer storms into an interactive sensory experience. The stairwell provides a vertical connection between all the levels, with each level being open plan and having openings on all sides, capturing the breeze and eliminating the need for air-conditioning.

The house is accessed via a step driveway that terminates at the carport. A walkway links the carport to the ground level. The entry is through the ground floor, which has been designed and built as a large open space, this 'flexible' room can be customised to suit both a variety of uses and users. The space could be used as a media room, a hobby room, a rumpus room or a bunkhouse. This area opens up to the surrounding bushland and has access to an outdoor hot and cold beach shower.

The second level contains the main living spaces, including the kitchen, dining, powder and lounge room. The main feature of this floor is the gallery style kitchen with a servery opening onto the large timber deck and the magical water and eastern views across the greenery of the bushland. The master bedroom is located on the top floor and has a walk-in-robe and ensuite. The top-level opens on three sides to the surrounding bush and on one side to the amazing water views, making you feel like you are indeed sleeping in a 'Treehouse'.

The house is an integration of beauty, practicality, passive solar design and ventilation, resource efficiency and craftsmanship, remaining close to nature and in harmony with the surrounding environment. The house maximises the views of both the bushland and the water. The house allows for a full integration of the indoor and outdoor living spaces. The house is not typical of the current island developments, it has been designed specifically for the site, with a small footprint to suite either couples or small families.

It has been built to provide a more intimate style of accommodation and has been integrated into the existing topography of the site. Because of the trees that have been retained and the minimum impact on the site, the house looks like it has been there forever, and formed part of the original development.

This is a testament to the ability of the builders and tradesman who worked on this project, who not only had to battle with the difficult access, inclement weather during construction, the steep site and the existing vegetation, but who also had to be very efficient and organised in the ordering and delivery of materials to the island as everything had to come from the mainland.

The resulting house is a delightful, unique piece of architecture that makes you feel revitalised and uplifted.