Saddle House
Set within the topography between national park and pastoral land, Saddle House manifests as a culmination of technical complexity and whimsical form-making.
Designed by late architect Dylan Wood and realised by Austin McFarland Architects, Saddle House – so named for the landscape feature towards which it faces – is a dynamic building in form, materiality and symbiotic collaboration.
“It has the feeling of being formed by the surrounding environment,” explains Carolyn McFarland, co-director of Austin McFarland Architects, when reflecting on the massing strategy for Saddle House. “Throughout the house you are always aware of your position within the landscape.” The building is largely defined by the contextual conditions; following a gentle curve to the east, it gently lifts and opens towards the saddle between hills. The northern elevation is abundant with large openings to capture the expansive views across the valley farmland, while the southern elevation is crafted with intentional apertures to frame views of the national park.
These facades present Saddle House as a home of two halves, an intentional design reflective of the program within; the house is scaled for the occupation of two people as much as it is suitable for larger groups of visiting family and friends. To the west, a guest wing is expressed in brick and juxtaposed against a more dynamic and sculptural eastern wing. Containing the main bedroom suite and living spaces, the east is defined by the subtle, multi-directional curvature of a rippling, timber-clad volume. “The eastern side looks like it’s been made by the site,” McFarland says. “A timber hull-like form curves and twists towards the saddle.” These two halves are split by a concrete entry canopy. The canopy links to a garage buried in the landscape beyond a protected arrival courtyard created between the house and the rising hillside.
The orientation and location of the building on the site is strategically leveraged to support principles of natural heating and cooling, the outcome of which is an energy-efficient building capable of self-sufficiency. Natural ventilation is accommodated in the eastern wing by way of a single room building depth. Openings in the north-facing facade are articulated as slices within the curvature of the larger form to create deep reveals that shelter from the heat of the summer but invite the winter sun within.
On reflection, McFarland speaks to the success of the collaboration between architects, clients and builders, and the meaningful outcome that stands as a testament to the value of such collaboration. “For us, the most successful element of the project was the relationships formed between us, the builder, and the clients,” she explains, “the strong collaboration created the support… to complete Dylan Wood’s vision.” Here, the culmination of skill, craft and vision results in Saddle House – technically challenging, occasionally whimsical and sensitively respectful to the unique conditions of a diverse landscape.
