An Experimental Farmhouse – Coopworth by FMD Architects

First impressions of Coopworth by FMD Architects suggest a highly refined, contemporary interpretation of the classic Australian farmhouse. While this is true in many ways, unlike a traditional farmhouse, Coopworth was largely experimental – some of its defining features were born from a refreshingly offbeat and innovative approach taken by both client and architect.

Coopworth sits on a 120-hectare property on Bruny Island. Here, the weather is notoriously fickle, the terrain is beautiful and rugged, and the site itself already had inhabitants – a large flock of Coopworth sheep. “It was vital to the clients that we didn’t fence off the house. They wanted to maximise the arable land, so the sheep were an important factor in the very first stages of the design,” explains FMD Architects Director, Fiona Dunin. This blurred demarcation between domestic and agricultural spaces presented both challenges and opportunities to elevate this project and inject a real sense of place.

“The weather is wild on Bruny,” FMD Architects Director, Fiona Dunin says. “The wind and rains can be brutal one minute, with sunshine the next. But we thought rather than trying to shield ourselves from this incredible climate, we would embrace it.”

But the design of Coopworth was not only informed by site. As Fiona says, “Coopworth is about connecting with the whole island, not just one place.” Deep red Colorbond cladding envelops the building, creating a singular architectural language. This paired with the striking, rudimentary form is a clear homage to the historic weathering red lead shacks scattered across the island.

“The red lead shacks on Bruny Island heavily informed our roofscape and cladding. The colour – Terrain – is slightly different to the traditional red, which can be quite bright. It’s very similar to the actual colour of the earth on the site and it changes with the light from dawn to dusk, sunshine to rain.” There is ample opportunity to experience the building in a state of flux. “The weather is wild on Bruny,” Fiona says. “The wind and rains can be brutal one minute, with sunshine the next. But we thought rather than trying to shield ourselves from this incredible climate, we would embrace it.”

“We created a band – an internal eave – which runs the length of the northern elevation as a series of daybeds. The mattresses are really thick, and together with the upholstery they act as insulation,” Fiona explains.

It is this thought process that led the architects to remove the gutters and eaves and instead, rainwater is captured by in-ground gutters. “You can sit in the living room and watch water cascade down the windows,” Fiona reflects. This single architectural feature is the coalescence of aesthetic value, function and human experience. It opens the building to the elements while retaining a sense of protection and reprieve, simultaneously enhancing the minimal, refined form of the exterior.

With every breakthrough, however, another challenge that demands an equally elegant solution follows. The absence of eaves along the northern elevation opens the house up to direct sunlight, which, in the summer months poses considerable heat gain challenges. FMD Architects’ solution was an “internal eave” designed as a row of build-in daybeds. “We created a band – an internal eave – which runs the length of the northern elevation as a series of daybeds. The mattresses are really thick, and together with the upholstery they act as insulation,” Fiona explains. “In summer, they capture and absorb the radiant heat but in winter the sun passes beyond the daybeds to the concrete and heats it up.”

“That notion of everyone sleeping out together really creates a strong family connection, so we wanted to do that, but our ‘sleep out’ is these indoor daybeds for the kids and the hidden nooks for adults,” Fiona explains.

Creating the internal eave was “very experimental” admits Fiona, but these daybeds serve another important purpose, too. Coopworth was designed for two residents, yet with grandchildren in the picture, the home needed to be able to accommodate the extended family when desired. Designing an excessively large house was never the intention. Instead, every space works hard to offer more than one purpose and, as a result, this moderately sized home can comfortably sleep up to 20 people. Inspired by the classic Australian outback concept of a ‘sleep out’ on warm summer nights, the children sleep on the daybeds, and there are several beds built into cupboards with curtains for privacy, “rather than endless bedrooms.”

Not only does this approach encourage interaction, but if offers comfort and practicality. “That notion of everyone sleeping out together really creates a strong family connection, so we wanted to do that, but our ‘sleep out’ is these indoor daybeds for the kids and the hidden nooks for adults,” Fiona explains. There are three dedicated bedrooms in total – two downstairs and one upstairs alongside a home office where the roof space has been opened up.

“Fisher & Paykel have gone out of their way to build their relationship with us over many years and after doing several of their product development workshops, we find we’ve really got to know their products,” Fiona says.

Downstairs, the kitchen is set back into the building behind a large timber island bench. FMD Architects worked with Fisher & Paykel to create the ideal kitchen for this home, with full support from the clients who have long used the brand’s appliances. “Fisher & Paykel have gone out of their way to build their relationship with us over many years and after doing several of their product development workshops, we find we’ve really got to know their products,” Fiona says, adding: “Their service is impeccable; nothing is too much trouble. They always follow up to ensure the client is happy, and they take a really personal approach with the architects which is terrific.”

The clients enjoy both the self-cleaning and combination steam oven as well as a gas cooktop with integrated rangehood. Fiona cites integration, and the flexibility and design versatility this offers, as key. For Coopworth, all appliances including the DishDrawers and fridges are carefully concealed behind plywood cabinetry, creating a seamless continuity with the rest of the house. The minimal design allows the focus to always return to the surrounding views of the island.

As a contemporary farmhouse, Coopworth celebrates nostalgic notions associated with Australian outback living.

This also guided the restrained palette of materials selected for the interior. Plywood has been used to clad most walls and for much of the joinery. Exposed concrete floors create uniformity, and the colour red is endlessly present – there are terracotta tiles in the bathroom, soft furnishings exploring the full spectrum of this colour, and powder coated door pulls throughout.

There is one notable departure from the considerable use of plywood, and it speaks back to the very heart of the project. Above the dining space, FMD Architects has exposed a portion of the ceiling insulated with Coopworth sheep wool. “Rather than using pendants, I prefer to define a dining space through space itself, or in this case, this sort of fresco idea,” Fiona explains, adding that she wanted there to be “a connection to the sheep inside the house”.

It was an idea that brew from the very beginning of the project – and an experimental one at that. It also required a hands-on approach from the owners who gathered and cleaned all the wool to fill the ceiling space. “It was quite an effort,” Fiona reflects. “And it was also highly experimental and risky. None of us knew whether it was going to work in terms of installation, aesthetics and use – so it took a really trusting and enthusiastic client to allow us to do it.”

As a contemporary farmhouse, Coopworth celebrates nostalgic notions associated with Australian outback living. Creating an indoor ‘sleep out’ in lieu of traditional bedrooms and hand-sourcing wool from the property for an experimental exposed ceiling – they are two of many markers of an understanding between architect and client that a new building can carry both innovation and sentiment for those who call it home.