Balancing Act – Bunya by Sparks Architecture and Valdal Projects

Balancing both retreat and refuge, Bunya combines a robust sensibility to respond to the surrounding natural elements while layering in familiar and refined details internally as a reflection of the contemporary home. Sparks Architecture and Valdal Projects nestle the removed home amongst the mountainous surrounds, engaging with the landscape.

With the location representing the idyllic draw for the siting of the home and its orientation, Bunya is both a place of protective shelter as well as a viewfinder from which to observe the natural landscape. In tending to the land as needed, the owners wanted the home itself to offer the comforts of the any urban offering, while feeling reflective of the unique and elevated context. In aligning with the undulations of the terrain it sits amongst, the black metal wrapped structure aims to sit respectfully and perform functionally above all else. Designed by Sparks Architecture and built by Valdal Projects, the resulting home folds itself into the landscape, anchored in place.

In aligning with the undulations of the terrain it sits amongst, the black metal wrapped structure aims to sit respectfully, and perform as functionally above all else.

Sitting within the Bunya Mountains, inspiration is taken from a traditional wooden mountain cabin in conjuring the home. Although the external materiality differs from its muse, the interior wrapping of the spaces with timber both adds warmth and allows locally sourced species of timber to become the encasing shell of the home. A sense of warmth is then emphasised through the slightness of the spaces and the creation of intimacy through compression. The more resilient metal sheeting that wraps the exterior connects also to the traditional rural buildings, such as sheds and barns, found in the area. The material allows a more linear form to be introduced, while optimising a protective outer shell at the same time.

Coming together in an L-shape formation across the site, an open courtyard space allows a protection from the elements, while also facilitating outdoor occupation. On the opposing side, a northeast facing terrace creates an ideal platform to watch the landscape in full, optimising the enviable outlook. From within, curated openings also allow and reinforce that connection between the built and the natural, while also allowing for a sense or separation and enclosure to be felt. There is an interesting tension at play, where the home offers a respite from the surrounds, and yet the surrounds are also what make the house so unique. It becomes a balancing act.

The material allows a more linear form to be introduced, while optimising a protective outer shell at the same time.

Bunya exists in a place of equilibrium, where something imposed is conceived from a respect for the surrounds, the integration of sustainable systems ensures a light impact in place. Sparks Architecture and Valdal Projects create an enhanced experience from within, minimising the impact on the landscape.