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Location: Noosa. Australia A rch і tect: John Mainu ariug Photography: Peter Hyatt |
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The architect took advantage of the fact that the project involved constructing and renovating various buildings in order to give the whole area the appearance of a rural community, in which the various parts were positioned on the plot without any strict order, following the trees and the topography. Somehow it is hers that there is a better awareness of the setting, since it already formed part of the whole. |
A married couple decided to renovate an old farm known as Mount View, located near Noosa, on the coast of Queensland, a state in north Australia with a tropical climate.
Termites had destroyed a significant part of the structure, the roof, and the walls of the house, built almost entirely of wood in 1890,The stripping of some of those elements, that could not be used under any circumstances because of their degree of deterioration, transformed the image of the building. The views over both sides of the hill were multiplied and, by creating larger spaces, interesting visual relationships were discovered between rooms that had previously been separate.
The definitive renovation involved minimum changes to the external appearance of the house (basically replacing the wood roof with a metal sheet one) while inside the conversion had obvious repercussions. Most of the walls were taken down and replaced by sliding panel doors. The existing structure was reinforced with metal sections and all the finishes were improved.
The architect’s intention was to produce an image of a rural community, formed by the later additions of buildings and constructions dispersed at random.
Mainwaring basically works with lightweight materials. Nevertheless there are some exceptions, such as the concrete structure painted red, housing the garage.
The openings on both facades, che wide windows, and the slatted walls were selected with the intention of providing ventilation in summer and allowing the house to become a greenhouse in winter.
View of the bridge connecting the existing summer house, constructed in the 19th century, with the new building designed by John Mainwaring.
"Following the renovations, the interiors have been opened up to provide airy, unobstructed views. The existing construction was completely inward-looking since it had been designed to provide protection from the local hunters and native tribes.”
John Mainwaring.
First floor of the guest house.
Detail of one of the bathrooms.