A Robust, Sculptural Shelter – Tree House by Matt Elkan Architect

Imagined as a place to celebrate and integrate with the natural landscape, Tree House immerses itself in its uninterrupted bushland setting with a sense of bold conviction and clarity. Matt Elkan Architect combines a robust materiality and strong formality that contrasts with the home’s context and offers a sculptural shelter and sense of privacy within.

Nestled amongst rich, dense vegetation, Tree House sits lightly on its steeply sloping site and offers a place of seclusion and protection from the untamed surrounding bushland. Located in Sydney’s Northern Beaches in Bayview, the site was acquired by the client, who valued its remoteness and privacy, with the intent to design and build a dwelling that would sit naturally within the setting, prioritise sustainability and offer contemporary convenience. The resulting Corten steel-clad form sits elevated, touching the earth lightly, acutely aware of its position and acting almost as its own viewing box from which to watch the surrounding life pass it by. Matt Elkan Architect combines a curiosity towards the challenge at hand together with a collaborative approach to work within the site constraints.

Nestled amongst rich, dense vegetation, Tree House sits lightly on its steeply sloping site and offers a place of seclusion and protection from the untamed surrounding bushland.

Built by Avalon Constructions, with landscape by Lindy Hulton Larsen and engineering by NB Consulting Engineers, Tree House is conceived on ideals of immersion overarching interruption. Underpinning many of the structural and material allocations is a broader understanding and discussion of how Australian homes can cohabit with our natural and, and often threatened, landscapes. With continued, increased risk of naturally occurring events, designing for and with regulations in mind is key to the success of said rural properties. Tree House is set within a high-level bushfire threat zone, however, the compliance is cleverly integrated and seemingly concealed. Clad in 3mm thick Corten Steel sheets and surrounded by suspended galvanised steel grated walkways and decks, the resilience and robust nature of the home allows the built and natural to coexist comfortably. Internally, there is a continued warmth –birch ply and blackbutt is used sparingly, and there is a deliberate reduction in the use of coatings, with plant-based oils and waxes replacing traditional flammable options.

Intentionally minimal in its disruption of what existed on the site previously, the home took measurable restraint and vigilant planning to achieve such a small footprint home (at just under 200sqm) and reduce the amount of construction needed on site. Although clad in such a seemingly dense and weighty material, the structure is deliberately light-footed and is arranged as a series of pavilions that run parallel to the site and its terrain. The resulting silhouette of the roof fall mirrors the site’s contour and hugs the site in its uniquely suspended way. The integration of sustainable energy systems and water collection and storage completes the non-invasive approach.

Tree House is an exercise in restraint and complexity. Matt Elkan Architect has created a home that sits lightly in its natural and abundant setting and cleverly conceals the mechanisms and challenges in proposing a sustainable and contextually appropriate home for the tough Australian landscape with ease.

Matt Elkan Architect combines a curiosity towards the challenge at hand together with a collaborative approach to work within the site constraints.

Tree House is an exercise in restraint and complexity.