Warm and Grounded – Terra Casa by Davis Architects and Sally McMillan

Openly engaged, Terra Casa becomes an expression of an outdoor lived life, with clear connections between inside and out grounding the home within the surrounding landscape. Davis Architects and Sally McMillan orient an outward facing flow throughout, where natural light and reminders of place have a continuous presence.

Located in Byron Bay, Terra Casa brings together all the key elements expected of a modern home in the area, whilst adding a sustainably anchored core into the heart of the structure. The interior sees a fusing of natural elements such as timber and stone together with a lightness created by punctuating the outer form, providing clear connections with the surrounds. As a family home, an element of flexibility in the planning and programming allows for altered functionality over time. With architecture by Davis Architects and interior design by Sally McMillian, a cohesive and considered focus on materiality, detailing and form rolls out across the site.

Despite its generously-sized site of nearly 650 square metres, the predominant orientation of the home brought an array of challenges that required some creative intervention. With the north orientation directed towards the front of the home, the owners wanted to optimise natural light and solar heat gains, whilst creating an open and reclusive living area that spilled out into the landscape. Ensuring enough light was brought into these core living areas, whilst also deflecting summer heat, a double-height structure was constructed above the outdoor entertaining area. Controlling the natural illumination levels, whilst allowing winter sun to reach deep into the interior, the connection to the passing sky brings an interesting shadow play to the home as well.

As a living and breathing home that opens to the landscape, embedding key sustainable principles was key. Whilst each material was selected for its energy footprint and low embodied energy, the main structural elements of the home are comprised of hempcrete. A combination of hemp, lime and water, the material has several beneficial qualities. As an enhanced natural insulator, hempcrete has the matched strength of concrete, is thermally efficient, naturally non-toxic and flame, water and pest resistant. Loving the texture and finish of the material, the owners opted to leave one of the entry walls unplastered as a celebration of innovation and a reminder of the ethos of the home.

With architecture by Davis Architects and interior design by Sally McMillian, a cohesive and considered focus on materiality, detailing and form rolls out across the site.

As a retreat of its own, the private and reclusive Terra Casa balances texture and tone whilst connecting to location. Davis Architects and Sally McMillan curate a soft and inviting residence embedded with an acutely aware and responsive sensibility.

As a retreat of its own, the private and reclusive Terra Casa balances texture and tone whilst connecting to location.