A Stealth Insertion – Bellbird House by Bower Architecture & Interiors

As a considered and sympathetic insertion among its native surrounds, Bellbird House creates a true sense of immersion. Bower Architecture & Interiors focuses on integrating clear visual connections and access between built and natural elements, combining the familiar with an embedded textural warmth.

Bellbird House does so much more than just provide a place of shelter. The original brief called for a single-storey family home that embraced the surrounds; in combining a heightened approach to craft and richly expressed materials, the spaces reach both outward and upward to engage with the established and lush landscape. Integrated large openings allow clear reminders of the immersion from within, whilst higher level clerestory windows connect with the tree canopies and bird activity above. Bower Architecture & Interiors brings together spaces of intimacy and quiet within the one home, aligning with the level of passivity and retreat needed by the owners and their two daughters.

Deliberately dark, the form sits somewhat camouflaged among the tree trunks and darkened foliage, ensuring the architecture has a minimal impact on the existing ecosystem, maintaining as much of the landscape as possible.

Deliberately dark, the form sits somewhat camouflaged among the tree trunks and darkened foliage, ensuring the architecture has a minimal impact on the existing ecosystem, maintaining as much of the landscape as possible. Achieving a 7.1-star rating for efficiency, systems are cleverly integrated to support a home that responds to climatic conditions and is oriented for optimal comfort throughout the year. Sun shading devices both direct and deflect solar gains, whilst batten screening adds a layer of solar protection to the west and eastern edges. With forms able to be opened, ventilation can flow easily through the home, naturally cooling interior spaces and encouraging movement between inside and out.

Whilst the exterior is clad in darker elements, the interior becomes a lighter offering of retreat. Both in enhancing the sense of scale and conjuring a calming effect, the contrast helps to crisply define the differing areas. Where possible, recycled materials are combined with double glazing and an increased thermal mass to both retain heat and coolness, adding to the solar energy capture and battery storage approach. As a result, the home feels open and generous yet feels like its own bunker within the landscape, creating an unexpected sensation once inside.

Whilst the exterior is clad in darker elements, the interior becomes a lighter offering of retreat.

Creating and maintaining connections internally and out beyond the building edge was key to the success of Bellbird House. Through the strategic placement of openings and directed views, Bower Architecture & Interiors proposes a series of associations that feel effortless and intertwined with the natural elements.