| | Ballandean House is the principal homestead and guesthouse facility of the Tobin Winery, facing north on a gently sloping block in the heart of Queensland’s Granite Belt. It is at times a harsh landscape: scorching in the summertime, and otherwise only home to remnant native bushland and scrub, perfectly adapted over eons to fluctuations in the Australian climate. So every aspect of the home had to be planned with the landscape and the elements as primary considerations, along with the consequential comfort, convenience and utility of its inhabitants and visitors.
Ballandean has none of the perched-on-stilts lightness of a traditional Queenslander, nor the vast sweeping verandah of an old-style bush homestead. Neither the owners nor architects desired “a light, feathered, timber and tin structure”. They wanted something sturdy and resolute, a shelter and a landmark. Something with a bit more character.
And character is something that Ballandean has in reams. Reams of steel, that is. Arkhefield describe it as a ‘helmet’ roof: a response to the harshness of the climate and the roughness of the landscape. And yet there is still something very modern and abstract about it, like a folded silver paper crane or a lopsided lightbox. What is essentially a woolshed by nature – with a more artistic temperament – finds its style in the utility of its design. The clever folding-down at either end of the roof, facilitated by a continuous fascia which hides the guttering system, blocks out the intense sunlight in summer, and creates the sense that the home is squatting heavily on its foundations, rather than perching precariously. Despite all this, the determined solidity of the building, the ultimate design has light and air and freedom at its heart.
Although the 1.2 metre overhang and lower ceilings at the Northern elevation block direct summer sun, there is extensive use of translucent panelling to maximise the transfusion of muted natural light throughout the length of the building. Services are relegated to the black, boxed forms at the rear of the building, which leaves the Southern aspects open for living and sleeping spaces fed by a roof-mounted skylight. Flow-through ventilation is encouraged by the awning windows in the clearstory, and then to counter the heatload on this feature, a twin wall system was implemented.
These opening, light infusing elements also play an integral role in the building’s nighttime persona: the skylight acts as a sort of beacon over the entryway and the translucent panels illuminate the entire building in an otherwise black-as-pitch country landscape. Timber feature poles rise out of the ground at the front of the home like the prows of some landlocked armada, the bones of an ancient fossilized creature, or even an amplified version of the weathered supports in the vineyard beyond. And yet for all the imagery, they too will eventually help reduce the heat load, as a planned ornamental vine matures on them like a living sunshade.
All of this still fits around a desire to make the most of the panoramic outlook of the site: to the nearby vineyards and the layered topography. The location of the house was specifically chosen to create the greatest impact upon approach up Sundance Road, which dissects the front of the site.
Moreover, Ballandean House is, after all a home, and must be highly liveable. While the design brief moved away from the traditional homestead structure for the sake of unique energy-efficiency and climate resistance, many of its structural elements still reflect that part of Australian iconography. The linear organization of the building allows the home to be separated into a simultaneous domestic living area and bed-and-breakfast at the owner’s discretion, or opened out into a huge family retreat when the extended family visits at Christmastime. With carports at either end of the elongated structure, sheltered by the overhang of the roof, and with access via adjacent doors, the single building can be enjoyed by both users, each with access to the same aspects and utilities.
The carport overhang also contributes to the home’s water preservation system. Above-ground stainless steel water tanks are located on both sides of the house, melding perfectly with the aesthetic nature of the project. The roofing above these tanks, essentially part of the rain collection system, also shelters the external deck area and the much-needed lap pool (part of a separate contract). Larger underground reservoir tanks are also installed further down the hill and fed by the same system.
While budgeting limits curtailed the installation of other outlying structures in the same project – the remote location and scale of the construction adding to the pressures of economy and a lump sum contract – the future plan is to have Ballandean House as the central figure in the fully contained vineyard estate. A garage for tools and equipment will eventually sit in line with the entrance poles, with plans for further ancillary structures as the landscape and vineyards mature.+ Top. At night the home is a beacon on the hilltop: light shines through translucent panelling and external feature lights emphasise the buildings creative rectilinear form. Second. Rainwater is collected and stored in stainless steel above-ground tanks which also add to the traditional homestead appearance.The main views of the home look out over the Tobin Winery vineyards. Third. A central internal corridor helps to transform the house into separate living areas, so that all of its features and outlooks can be enjoyed simultaneously by the occupants and their bed-and-breakfast guests. Natural light enters the space through a glazed clearstory and skylights. Fourth. Interior design brings the modern architectural aesthetic into the living areas within. Despite the demands of energy, water and climate management, the design also needed to produce a liveable and attactive home. Bottom. Hardwood decking and glazed sliding doors around the exterior of the home are sheltered from direct sun and light by the roof overhang. Photographer: Shaun Lockyer
|
