Tawarri

by JTech Design & Construct

The Tawarri Project is the result of Torney and Keil’s determination to create a visual narrative that controls the viewer’s gaze. They succeeded. As you approach the home, you’re met with architectural lines that sit tall in the saddle of the street, floating boldly in black, invitingly adorned with a hanging garden over the entryway. This exterior sharpness is combated by the surrounding landscaping and a soft and organic interior that strikes a balance between both masculinity and femininity. As well as directing viewers’ sightlines, these elemental considerations were necessary in The Tawarri Project’s ambition to encourage interior journeys and the spatial self expression that is fostered by fluidity between all spaces of the home – fluidity that can only be achieved through functionality. As we’ve learned during the pandemic and through increased time sequestered in our homes, spaces that provide opportunity for retreat and disconnection can be of equal importance to the open plan, shared zones of connection. The Tawarri Project, positioned around a central courtyard and pool, thoughtfully approaches this dichotomy and allows residents the luxury of play – to open the home and utilise adjoining spaces as one, or to close them off to make more intimate sanctuaries.

No area of The Tawarri Project spells sanctuary more than the master bedroom, separated from the rest of the home and accessed by a bridge set high in the void overlooking the main living area. Much like the black structure above the suspended polished concrete cantilever, the bridge continues a motif of floating. As both Torney and Keil have expressed, the architectural form intends to serve an ethos of lightness, evoking a state of repose as one wanders from room to room. This sensation is no doubt assisted by the sun, no matter its position in the sky, no matter the season, throwing warm hues over the natural timber and stone, brick, concrete, rattan and linen. The range of materials used in The Tawarri Project speak to the vibrant vernacular of contemporary coastal living in Australia, and once compiled through considered design and craftsmanship, allow the home to both stand out and stand with its natural and adjacent urban settings.

Words by Aaron Chapman