Ferncroft Home

Location

Brisbane, QLD

Recognition

Houses Awards 2024 — Residential Interior Shortlist

Overview

A new-build family residence on 2.3 hectares in the Southern Highlands. The brief: a home that works equally well for a young family today and as a retreat in retirement. Low maintenance. High comfort. Connected to its landscape.

Challenge

The Highland climate — cold winters, heavy frosts, significant rainfall — required a thermal strategy quite different from the studio's typical coastal work. The clients wanted generous glazing to the garden, which increased the heating load significantly.

Solution

We designed a rammed earth spine wall along the northern elevation to act as thermal mass. Deep eaves protect the glazing from summer sun while allowing low winter sun to penetrate and warm the slab. A wood fire anchors the living room. External cladding is Corten steel, chosen to weather into the paddock landscape over time. Interior design by Nina Webb emphasised natural materials — wool textiles, hand-fired ceramics, reclaimed timber flooring from a demolished warehouse in Marrickville.

Result

Belle Magazine feature, Winter 2022. NatHERS energy rating: 7.8 stars · 41% below benchmark winter heating consumption for equivalent floor area · Houses Awards 2024 — Residential Interior Shortlist.