A Linear Expression – Mystery Bay House by Jack and Rob Hawkins

Straddling its site and responding to its dichotomous aspects, Mystery Bay House both embraces its outlook while anchoring itself as a place of refuge. Jack and Rob Hawkins propose a respectfully similar silhouette to the rolling hills the home sits upon, gesturing to context through an expression of the linear.

Set along the New South Wales coastline, south-east of Canberra, Mystery Bay House sits above an enviable outlook of national parks, the coast and a nearby lake, a varied scenery that plants the structure within its generous site. Arising from a a careful study of the site and its constraints, a weighted and linear form follows the line of its terrain. The nearby Mount Gulaga offers a point from which to radiate, and resultingly the form sits in line with this axis. To increase the comfort of the home and allowance to work with the incoming prevailing winds, a dark and subdued formation sits below the ridgeline of the site, against an existing windbreak of trees. Jack and Rob Hawkins intentionally embed the home within the landscape to conjure a protective enclave from the elements.

Jack Hawkins Architect intentionally embeds the home within the landscape to conjure a protective enclave from the elements.

Built by its owner, together with carpentry by Drakos Brothers Constructions, Mystery Bay House opens at curated openings that capture snapshots of the surrounding landscape. Following a natural contour on site, the overall approach takes influence from the surrounding rural context. Its purpose as a place of shelter is felt in the verandah-type structure that covers the built form. The long linear plan intersects the site and angles itself at 18 degrees to follow the line of the site and sees four distinct zones divide the home.

In its rural location, the home sits off-grid and responds to the views and orientation with large operable façade elements. Generous openings allow an embrace of the site and create a natural transition between inside and out. The natural setting the home is immersed within inspires the palette of natural and raw materiality used inside, adding warmth through the use of timber and stone. Dedicated seating is built into the home, occurring at varying levels as the home shifts its base in response to the land. Feature rammed earth walls offer supporting structure as well as textural differentiation, warming the home through its increased thermal mass.

Following a natural contour on site, the overall approach takes influence from the surrounding rural context.

Mystery Bay House uses local materiality and through its considered consciousness is firmly planting in place. Jack and Rob Hawkins propose a home of modern and urban refinement, that both celebrates and opens up to its natural and abundant siting.