+ 27
- Area :
27 m² -
Year :
2021
-
Chief Architect:
Nick Lane
Text description provided by the architects. The Brook sits in a paddock atop an old Gasometer among the ruins of a flour mill. It is located in Rosebrook, South West Victoria, on the traditional land of the Gunditjmara people. The stream was designed to capture the remarkable wetlands surrounding the Gasometer, with windows framing the Moyne River, lush paddocks, and the occasional passing dairy cow.
The assignment was further determined by the dimensions of a truck trailer, the most suitable size for a tiny house. While it was important to create a home that could be transported under power lines, it was also essential that the space feel generous and open. The solution came in the form of a telescopic frame with a sliding roof and gear system, which lowers the roof for transport and raises it on site, creating a high-ceilinged living space. The system is the central design feature of the home.
Multi-use and intersecting spaces are the focus of the interior to maximize the utility of the limited footprint. Staggered floors create opportunities for storage and seating as the rooms transition from the kitchen to the living room and the mezzanine office to the bedroom. The sliding door closes off the bathroom, but reveals hidden storage in the kitchen.
The double height gives the lounge an extra spacious feeling. It features a split-level office, with the mezzanine becoming a seat for the study and the desk the guardrail. It’s a small space, but it feels much larger as it shares the height of the lounge. The lower part is enclosed by steel glass windows and pivot doors. Copper and plywood slats run horizontally together with the glass, hiding flywire but enticing the southwest breeze to travel up through the building.
The availability and selection of materials were inspired and informed by the rural environment. Folding into the landscape of rusted red farm sheds and weathered coastal buildings, the Brooke is made up of locally sourced or recycled elements that reflect the site. Thin strips of locally felled cypress form the exterior cladding. As it turns gray with the wind and rain, it will resemble a house of twigs, writhing and bending slightly against the oxidizing copper, gradually blending into the landscape.
The floor-to-ceiling windows allow the building to be flooded with natural light during the day, so the interior materials chosen are warm, textured and dark. Local volcanic rock surrounds the bathroom, concrete and galvanized steel details throughout with recycled hardwoods from building demolition. The stairs at the entrance and deck are all completely recycled from nearby concrete cow troughs and wire mesh from an abandoned pigsty.
Since the Brook’s completion, Aaron has launched an Australia-based design and construction company, with partners Luke and Greg, called Small Projects. Small projects are specialized in the design, manufacture and delivery of small movable homes such as the beek.