Sawmill Treehouse by Robbie Walker

Located near the base of Mount Buller in Victoria’s High Country is Sawmill Settlement. This leafy, alpine environment is home to Sawmill Treehouse by Robbie Walker, a place of restfulness and repose immersed in the Australian bush.

Walker, who was engaged to design a sensitively scaled dwelling that yielded to the site’s existing conditions, was immediately struck by the client’s profound respect for the land. “Over the weeks until I visited, [my client] would send me pictures of all the trees explaining what they all were – never sending me tile samples or kitchen benchtop requests. Obviously, the site and how the building would feel were most important to her.” He adds, “she wanted a place to escape to that felt special and didn’t want to ruin the block of land she had fallen in love with.”

“She wanted a place to escape to that felt special and didn’t want to ruin the block of land she had fallen in love with.”

Consequently, the dwelling – which juts from the hillside and hovers over a clearing, supported by four columns echoing the encircling tree trunks – is elevated. This achieves many things: it minimises the structure’s impact on the site (not a single tree was removed during construction), protects the dwelling from stormwater and allows it to fully capture the exceptional views across the gully.

The blocky, rectangular exterior is uncompromising yet stealth-like. Clad on three sides in slats of Corten steel – chosen for its durability in bushfire zones – and with wall-to-wall glazing at one end, it is exceptionally robust, yet it manages to recede into its surroundings. The brown and reddish hues of the steel reflect the colours of the natural environment, while the angled slats catch the light “more randomly than a flat panel, like the leaves on the trees,” says Walker. This steel skin also aids in cooling the building, shading the roof sheets and wall lining from the summer sun and allowing air to circulate through the space between.

Stainless steel benchtops and furniture designed by Walker introduce a modern edge to the earthy palette, and views of the greenery at the home’s edges enliven the experience.

The interior palette is similarly rationalised; lined almost entirely in Victorian Ash, the effect is grounding and cocoon-like. Stainless steel benchtops and furniture designed by Walker introduce a modern edge to the earthy palette, and views of the greenery at the home’s edges enliven the experience. The glazing at the far end acts as a direct conduit to the outdoors, providing sweeping views over the tree canopy and of the rosellas, kookaburras, wombats and kangaroos that frequently visit the site.

Conceived as a place for the client – who had spent years camping on the land – to share with family and friends and lease for short stays, the program is intentionally compact, comprising just one bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen and a living room (with an outdoor kitchen and laundry in a separate structure). Walker believes this restraint is among the project’s most meaningful, environmentally responsible moves. He notes that financing a project of this size is often more challenging, with generally lower resale value. Also, building at this scale rarely equates to cost savings, as projects of this size typically require the same consultants and approvals as larger ones.

“In a system that rewards excess, choosing to build less – not out of necessity but out of principle – is just as, if not more important, than the materials themselves.”

“Resisting the urge to simply double the material use and add extra bedrooms is no small feat,” says Walker. “In a system that rewards excess, choosing to build less – not out of necessity but out of principle – is just as, if not more important, than the materials themselves. Seeing that decision through takes real courage.”

Design and furniture by Robbie Walker. Engineering by Taylor Engineering + Design.