Tasmania, Australia – Misho + Associates
The site is a low rise on a treed site on the Tasman Peninsula to the south-east of Hobart. The aspect is north with views out to Norfolk Bay. Tasmania sits in the Southern Ocean that often delivers cold, salty winds to the peninsula. To protect the residents and also to provide security during the owners’ frequent absences, the house is âa box within a boxâ. The clients’ request for two equal bedrooms that should be separated from the living area resulted in a further ‘box beside a boxâ.
The external red and orange galvanized metal panels match the fiery lichen ubiquitous to the local beaches. The darker red panels mark the home’s entry points. These darker panels slide, much like the external screens of a traditional Japanese tea-house, revealing a two-part inner haven. The first enclosure is the verandah. It completely surrounds and protects the central core, locking out the summer sun, wind and salt moisture and giving the home an R8 insulation rating.  The second part is two modules with a spine of two ensuite bathrooms and the laundry. When the external panels are closed, a set of wide clerestory windows to the south continue to deliver ample light to the living areas and main bedroom.
From the architect:
The double skin, steel and timber with veranda airspace between, contribute to an insulation rating of R8. Windows align perfectly with the parted panels and minimal internal ornamentation allows the residents to muse one the shifting clouds or geometric patterns of light cast on the veranda when the panels are closed on a bright, windy day. Thermally broken aluminium, double-glazed windows, two metre eaves and solar gain also generate this extremely high rating.
The home is fully modular, resulting in minimum waste. Rainwater is collected in three 10,000 litre tanks and all black and grey water is treated on site and used for irrigation. A solar system heats the water.
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