Rectilinear Expression - OCM House by Studio Jackson Scott

An unassuming, rectilinear expression sits east-west across the rear of a large site in Byron Bay. OCM House sees Studio Jackson Scott approach a brief for a comfortable and contemporary family home with modesty and restraint.

Covering just under 100 square metres, OCM House takes a clever and modest approach to space, geometry and materiality. On a conservative budget, the proposed use of space also needed to be approached in an efficient and purposeful manner. The brief called for a comfortable dwelling for its young family, where the built form responds to the environment and its nuances appropriately. Areas for living, ancillary support spaces and passive sleeping and respite areas were included in the brief. The resulting geometry, while bold and a real expression of a rectilinear form, its hidden and carved utility provides for transitions between inside and outside, providing shelter at this transition point.

Covering just under 100 square metres, OCM House takes a clever and modest approach to space, geometry and materiality.

Essentially a lightweight intervention onto the existing site that embraces its coastal warm climate, most prominent in the design was the desire to engage with the outdoors. Built by Haven Building and completed in 2019, the entirety of the built form is nestled along the rear of the site in an effort to create spatial separation from the streetscape. Its orientation east-west along the boundary also allows for optimisation of thermal gains and natural light within all of the internal spaces.

Externally, the rectilinear form is clad in black FC sheeting, where vertical mullions cover the joins as an expression of its construction. These definitions also allow for an expression of the fenestration elements, while creating a tectonic pattern of sorts. Each reveal and opening relates to the internal in some way, providing glimpses of the activity within. The main deck is a part of the internal/external shell, appearing as if it has been carved out. Lined with warm timber offering a relief from the black external cladding, the deck acts as sheltered outdoor space. The approach to the internal spaces is an extension of the overall approach, with a simple and classic palette. Sheets of deliberate plywood line the interior, together with integrated joinery elements and storage, providing a warm contrast to the concrete polished flooring.

Areas for living, ancillary support spaces and passive sleeping and respite areas were included in the brief.

A home of purpose and simplicity, OCM House uses its modest brief as a cue to instead express its bold overall form as one united element. The clever use of materiality and its non-traditional positioning on its site to best suit the lifestyle of the custodians, allows for a full embrace of the geographical location. Designed for the spaces to remain open to the elements for the majority of the year, Studio Jackson Scott has imbued the project with the essence of Byron Bay, creating a sense of calm through a contemporary and sophisticated lens.