Mapleton House by Atelier Chen Hung

Modest and unassuming, Mapleton House by Atelier Chen Hung settles into its landscape as quietly as the undulating terrain that surrounds it. Designed as a seamless extension of the suburban-rural stretch skirting the Blackall Range hinterland, the home effortlessly frames the verdant views, blurring the boundaries between built form and nature.

From a distance, Mapleton House blends with the natural environment, appearing as though it has emerged organically from the landscape. Only upon closer inspection does the house reveal itself, rising gently from its surroundings as a delicate extension of the inhabited terrain. “The design accentuates one’s engagement with the existing topography,” says architect Melody Chen, one half of the firm’s founding team, reinforcing the home’s profound connection to its setting.

In a bid to tread lightly and root the architecture within its natural habitat, the team designed two dwellings instead of one, recessing each to ensure the true star – nature – remains centrestage.

For the design team, the mountains served as a starting point for drawing upon their inspiration. “The house envelope, intentionally angled to align with sightlines towards the mountains and coupled with stepped platforms, choreographs a dynamic spatial experience, creating a sense of expansiveness in public spaces and an intimate enclosure in private spaces as occupants traverse the house,” notes James Hung, co-founder of the practice. In a bid to tread lightly and root the architecture within its natural habitat, the team designed two dwellings instead of one, recessing each to ensure the true star – nature – remains centrestage. “We wanted to highlight the prominent natural features of Mount Ninderry and Mount Coolum, offering uninterrupted views from the street and the adjacent public stair,” says Chen.

As the home is steeped in rich history and sits on the land of the Gubbi Gubbi people, the design team saw an opportunity to cultivate a design dialogue that is thoughtful and empathetic to the environment. “The Blackall Range was an important meeting place for [First Nations] groups from across the region, hosting events such as the Bunya Festival to celebrate the harvesting of Bunya pine nuts, a vital food source. A shared Dreamtime story tells of a feud between two warriors, Ninderry and Coolum, over a girl called Maroochy, who eventually fled to the Blackall Range hinterland, drawing deep connections to the land,” says Chen. Echoes of past and present reverberate across the site through lush native landscaping, breezy pathways and circulation areas, and thresholds that blur the line between indoors and outdoors, as well as private and communal spaces. “The rugged, monolithic structures emerge organically, engaging with the distant geological formations and their significance in the landscape,” adds Hung.

The result is a home that is as responsive as it is resilient – deeply attuned to its environment and designed to stand the test of time.

“The integration of locally sourced materials reinforces the connection to place and minimises the embodied energy of the project,” says Chen. The team approached material selection with the same sensitivity they applied to the changing seasons, ensuring the home serves as a year-round sanctuary by adapting to climatic fluctuations. “The aim was to minimise operational energy consumption without relying on mechanical cooling or heating. By optimising natural ventilation and solar access, the design incorporates a thermal mass concrete floor to retain warmth in winter, while perforated screens provide sun shading and help cool the thermal mass during summer, ensuring year-round comfort for the occupants,” says Hung. The exterior takes on a monolithic form, clad in recyclable natural zinc with a lifespan of up to 100 years, while the interior is finished with Queensland silver ash and Queensland hoop pine plywood, creating a cavernous expression.

The result is a home that is as responsive as it is resilient – deeply attuned to its environment and designed to stand the test of time. By prioritising locally sourced materials, passive design strategies and durable finishes, Atelier Chen Hung has created a space that seamlessly integrates with its surroundings while minimising its ecological footprint. Mapleton House is not just a shelter but a testament to thoughtful, sustainable design – one that evolves with the landscape and the lives it nurtures.

Architecture and interior design by Atelier Chen Hung. Build by AM Build. Landscape design by BrushBox Design + Ecology.