Contrasting Locally Sourced Materiality – House at Otago Bay by Topology Studio

House at Otago Bay by Victorian based architecture practice Topology Studio is anchored into the rock of a steeply sloping site over the Derwent River. The design for the home is a play on concealing and revealing through contrasting locally sourced materiality and dramatic formal responses.

The home embraces its unique geographical position, looking outward, while still being deeply grounded into the bedrock of the site.  The structure references the sense of enclosure and embrace evident in the landscape, with gestures speaking to the curved contours of the site, curating vistas beyond neighbouring properties and to the mountain beyond.

The home embraces its unique geographical position, looking outward, while still being deeply grounded into the bedrock of the site.

The chosen materiality speaks to the solid mass and texture of the geography, as both a reference and a point of context. Locally sourced materials were selected for their endurance and suitability in such a hard climate. Externally warm rough masonry acts as an extension of the site and also as a form of protection from the elements. The thick exaggerated walls and deep colonnades play a role in thermal mass loading and solar protection, with the deep reveals and openings responding to the angles of the summer sun while the thermal mass allows for the winter sun to be absorbed through the slab. These same elements are also key to the home’s bold architectural formality, which, from the waterfront,  looks to be made from two volumes, sitting atop one another.

The chosen materiality speaks to the solid mass and texture of the geography, as both a reference and a point of context.

The interiors express the external materiality, combining the rough masonry with more refined elements and a timber ceiling that runs the continuous curve for the length of the home. This ceiling acts a gesture to the movement into and outward from the home, lifting up upon entry, dipping to create a sense of enclosure within, and then focusing outward again toward the river and Mount Wellington views beyond. As a result, the transition between inside and out is deliberate yet effortless.

Melbourne based Topology Studio worked in section throughout the design process, carefully ensuring the integration with the existing rock and that the introduced forms would not feel imposed. With entry at grade with steps down from the courtyard into the garden, the terrace is then designed to be additional steps lower than the colonnade to ensure the seating elements do not affect the view internally. Inspired by a small ruined farmhouse on the Amalfi Coast’s approach to steep inclines, the stair leading down to the riverfront is purposed to mimic that gesture. The integration of a ‘ha-ha’ wall to the terrace provides a sense of protection, again without impacting the view.

The interiors express the external materiality, combining the rough masonry with more refined elements and a timber ceiling that runs the continuous curve for the length of the home.

House at Otago Bay is a refreshing reflection on texture, drama and contextual appropriateness.  Emphasising its position on such a steep site, the building responds with both strength and elegance to its unique location.