Knoll Maleny Residence Sunshine Coast, Queensland House, Australian Residential Building Images

Knoll Maleny Residence, Queensland

Contemporary Sunshine Coast Property design by Blueprint Architects, Australia

30 Jun 2009

Location: Maleny, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Knoll Maleny Residence

Design: Blueprint Architects Pty Ltd

Photos © Aperture Architectural Photography

Knoll Maleny

The residence is sited on an elevated grassy knoll overlooking the northern view of mountains and valleys, just outside Maleny on the sunshine coast.

The context is generally old dairy farms. The “barn” garage and “outhouse” amenities reference the existing farm house buildings on site. They also provide a stark contrast to the main residence’s architectural language of simple glass and timber boxes a play between the old and the new.

The entry to the site is via a timber boardwalk that follows the natural contours, yet hovers above the site. A series of shallow level changes lead you to the residence and keeps you quite grounded, which is then contrasted by the hilltop escarpment, cliff top perch on the other side of the residence. The landscaping on the site is minimal, keeping the original dairy farm grassed areas, and allowing the transparent architecture to frame the mountain profile in the distance.

The tactic of the plan is to remain one room deep, with most rooms facing directly north. The architecture consists of one large glass cube volumetric living space that maintains spatial dominance over the intentionally 2 x smaller and more intimate enclosed bedroom pavilions on either side.

The residence is used as a holiday house, with the planning and layout allowing occupants to choose to integrate into the semi public realm areas or to maintain autonomy in their separate pavilions. The master plan of the site will incorporate additional guest boxes linked by covered decks.

The central living area opens on both sides to the site, and extends across decks to provide uninterrupted views and exposure to the environment. The accentuation of the tree lined mountain view dictated the layout of the house. Capturing the view and ensuring it is always part of your experience was pertinent.

The wet edge pool which is 3.5m above the ground allows you to look across the water’s edge to the view. The stepping of decks and therefore minimal interference from balustrades or pool fences increases the visual sight lines to the view and enhances the integration of the house to nature. The destination northern deck provides a vantage point with no boundaries a sense that you are overlooking the territory and enhances the sites topography.

The transparent – glass living area with the added use of mirrors and reflective surfaces allows access to the 360 degree views of the site at all times ensuring it is the most memorable experience of the house. The anticipation or changes evoked by strong sunlight, cloud cover, electrical lightning, stormy winds, changing colours of the mountains, sunsets should all be part of the life of the house.

Unlike urban exemplars this design abandoned the need for privacy, formal front elevations, context screening or overlooking issues from neighbours. The brief or design of the house was exposed, not introverted; it was to embrace the sites elements instead of hiding, and to enjoy the freedom of a country retreat.