A Natural Alignment – PaperBark Pod by Bark Architects

Engaging with the existing landscape, PaperBark Pod forms the first stage of a large master-planned development for multigenerational living. Bark Architects focuses on integrating formal elements amongst the natural and emphasising the home’s linear silhouette.

Surrounded by a collective of trees, Paperbark Pod enables its occupants to be immersed within nature and embeds a feeling of disconnection from the urban world. Engaging with the site, the small structure establishes a clear language that communicates a love for the environment with its considered impact. Bark Architects draws from the setting to propose a home of purposed intent – a structure that preserves as much as it provides.

Bark Architects draws from the setting to propose a home of purposed intent – a structure that preserves as much as it provides.

PaperBark Pod comes together as a simple and linear form that complements its diverse and densely populated landscape. Clad in fibre cement sheeting, the structure adopts a contemporary twist on the narrative of a coastal home or traditional beach shack. Internally, a definition of space is created through lining surfaces in plywood, adding to the overall warmth and cocooned atmosphere of the home. Encouraging materials to patina overtime, elements such as copper celebrate the beauty of the process and become a metaphor for the coming stages.

Located in Currumudi, Queensland, preserving the Melaleuca trees and the connection to the adjacent lake was key to the experience of the home. The nearness to the water acts as a calming reference, its close location eliciting a sensorial effect. Reinforcing a reminder of place, large openings create a connection between the interior and exterior. Carefully crafted screens provide an offering of privacy between the two – moveable as needed to control climate and natural light.

PaperBark Pod comes together as a simple and linear form that complements its diverse and densely populated landscape.

PaperBark Pod has a dynamic relationship with its surrounding natural elements, creating the ideal synchronicity. By focusing outward, Bark Architects creates an immersive experience, offering a unique lifestyle amongst its distinct setting.