Hidden House – Margaret River

Located in picturesque Margaret River, Western Australia, this addition is located amongst jarrah and peppermint forests and grafts a contemporary pavilion onto an existing timber-framed and clad house built in the early ’90s. The new work consists of a reading/living room and master bedroom with a bathroom and is linked to the existing house by a transparent gallery that also acts as a secondary entrance to the new wing.
Designed by Archterra Architects large sliding panel doors that disappear into the wall cavity allow a flow of space and views between the existing house and the new reading room and then through the bedroom. A frameless corner window in the bedroom enables panoramic views into the bush-land surrounding the house and invites the bush into the room.
Three meter high sliding doors in the reading room link the indoors to the full height of the trees to the east and an amazing early morning light show through the tree trunks.  A window seat in the main living area surrounded by bookshelves frames a view of the bush and provides an intimate spot to read and contemplate nature. Externally the window seat is articulated as a compressed cement sheet hood within the dark fluted metal cladding. Prefinished vertical Colorbond cladding in dark grey tones mimic the verticality of the trees and settles the new work into the bushland setting and contrasts with the white walls and light plywood ceilings of the interior.