A Home of Simplicity – Lighthouse by Room 11 Architects

Lighthouse is a home of simplicity, focusing on form and functionality to create a small, beautifully detailed home for a retired couple in Hobart.

Seeking to downsize and build a simple home at the back of a block, within walking distance to a historic part of inner-Hobart, the clients’ brief emphasised functionality and efficiency. With an existing single-level house sharing the site, the design responds to the constraints and proximity of neighbours on all sides with a simple courtyard arrangement.

The house is positioned within a defining rectangle that sets the perimeter. A north-facing courtyard allows for indoor/outdoor living, giving the house a generously extended environment. The northern edge of the home opens up through timber-framed glazed doors, extending the space up and over the courtyard walls to the forested ridge beyond.

The clients’ brief emphasised functionality and efficiency.

Adjoining the courtyard, a simple kitchen sits with within the living room and bedrooms and bathroom perpendicularly surround the central zone. Each of the internal spaces is modest and unassuming, yet the exceptional consideration evident within the details creates a refined and thoughtful interior.

Each of the internal spaces is modest and unassuming.

Materials and orientation underscore the project’s prioritisation of sustainable design principles. Locally sourced timber surrounds the double-glazed windows, while the direction of the building and insulation nestle the home in a stable envelope. The architects also employ awning windows which encourages cross ventilation for a passively ventilated, thermally-stable home.

Timber, gravel and blockwork add a textural layer to the restrained palette, however the emphasis is on creating a backdrop for the accoutrement of daily living. While the acute simplicity of the rectilinear façade, clad in cement sheeting, presents an inscrutable face from the outside, Lighthouse draws on its surrounding built environment. The style reflects the additions that have appeared throughout the block and works directly with the idea of informal spaces: sheds, greenhouses, self-contained units. The design acts as a bookend to the original bungalow at the front of the site, with a productive garden between the two houses creating an architectural discourse between the buildings.

Room 11 refuses ornamentation and anything unnecessary to the core purpose of the design. As a result, Lighthouse draws on architecture as a reflection of need and logical thought. The home is minimalist and uncomplicated, letting the owners live an equally simple, meaningful life.