Treehouse architecture by Marcus Beach

Now this is my kind of house – integrated with nature, sustainably designed and a pared back palette infused with just the right amount of contrast. Originally designed by Bark Design Architects for its original owners, the architects adopted principles of authenticity, economy, durability and simplicity into the design. In 2009, a change in ownership gave the opportunity to further explore and refine the dwelling for its new occupants. In the words of the architects, “The basic ‘pavilion’ plan was sketched out in the sand during an early site visit. A simple diagram of two timber pavilions placed either side of a venerable 50 year old Morton Bay Ash ensures that the tree takes centre stage to the scale, proportions and life of the house around it. Celebrating its natural, coastal setting, the house provides its occupants with an inextricable link to the landscape. Exploring ideas of lightness, layers of transparency and integrating indoor/outdoor living within dynamic patterns of light and shadow, the Marcus Beach house is a simple frame to enable a contemporary coastal lifestyle to unfold within a very special landscape.”

Sustainable features: windows and doors capture prevailing breezes, roof overhangs are generous protecting the house from direct summer sunlight, no air conditioning required, natural light is maximised with glazing and polycarbonate cladding, high level glazing captures daylight and allows warm air to escape, the use of locally sourced hardwood.

[Photography by Christopher Frederick Jones]