A Tactile Expression – The Tree House by Enoki
Refining an existing architecturally conceived home, The Tree House sees the expansion and addition of dedicated retreat spaces that optimise the homes proximity to the natural. Enoki looks to the original principles of the home to further express a connection to place through textural and tactile gestures.
Sitting at the base of the Adelaide Hills in Burnside, The Tree House was originally architecturally designed in the 1980s and was in need of further refinement and a sense of clarity as a contemporary home. Surrounded by an abundant landscape, with natural and native flora bountifully surrounding, the home needed to open itself up and engage with considered purpose, while also offering an internal openness familiar with the typical family home setting. The new works span over the existing three levels of the home, extensively renovating and expanding its footprint, culminating in the creation of a rear two storey pavilion as it sits addressing the pool and outdoor entertaining spaces. Enoki draws from key features of the original home and combines them with an attuning to contemporary living principles to aid the client in realising their vision.
Built by Mazzone Constructions, the key element of the brief was that the home should be a place of restorative retreat and one that focused on self-care at its heart. By creating and opening opportunities to better address and engage with the natural, the home then fulfils its name as a home set amongst the trees. While the pavilion structure was a late addition to the engaged client-architect process, it becomes a pivotal part of the home. Accommodating the revised master suite on the lower level, the upper level engages with the pool as a supporting space, ensuring the area can be used throughout the year, irrespective of season.
Throughout, a focus on the textural sees a continued expression of elemental features, with natural materials emphasised. The stone wall adds a depth and variation to the shared living zone, which is balanced by the openness of the full-height glazing that encourages light inward. Timber lines both ceiling and floor planes to create an encasing feeling, imbuing a welcomed warmth despite the home’s elevation amongst the foothills, which sits typically cooler than the flatter planes. Inspiring the home is a feeling of being embraced by both the surrounding nature and feeling disconnected from the outside world.
Throughout, a focus on the textural sees a continued expression of elemental features, with natural materials emphasised.
Views beyond The Tree House offer a reminder of the home and its uniquely lush location, further embracing its purpose as a restorative series of spaces. Through a focus on warmth, Enoki has created a home intended to cocoon.
