Cowaramup Farmhouse
Cowaramup, Western Australia
Creating a rural getaway where the rain on the roof as is welcome as a warm evening under the stars.
This home was built on an old farm in the southwest, surrounded by native bushland. The Timms had owned the property for a while and wanted to transform it into a country getaway they could share with their expanding grown-up family.
Gary Timms is a builder and brought his invaluable experience to the project. As an owner-builder he also had a strong idea of what he wanted from the structure, and our design started with his keen interest in the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. We balanced this clean, sophisticated aesthetic with the warmth of natural materials liked rammed earth walls and timber ceilings. We also employed a stonemason, an old friend of the Timms’, to complete the beautiful dry wall construction on the outdoor fireplace. It was crucial to create different outdoor spaces for the different moods of the landscape, so we designed both open and protected areas; the house welcomes the rain on the roof as much as a warm evening under the stars.
As always, light was a central focus in the design, and it was closely tied to the owners’ desire for a sustainable, energy efficient home. High level windows in the middle of the plan bring natural light into the centre of the house throughout the day, while providing shelter during the hottest hours. The north-facing buyviagraed aspect also makes the most of the seasonal changes in the position of the sun for natural heating and cooling.
