Escarpment House / Atelier Andy Carson

Architects: Atelier Andy Carson
Location: Gerringong, Australia
Project Team: Andy Carson, Tom Potter, Alvin Tsang
Area: 126.0 m2
Project Year: 2017
Photographs: Michael Nicholson

Head Contractor: Bellevarde Constructions
Structural Engineer: Ken Murtagh
Hydraulic Engineering & Fabrication: Cram Fluid Power
Surveyor: Allen, Price & Scarratts

Text description provided by the architects. The project lies on 60ha of open field running dairy cows, with green rolling hills to a coastal lagoon, beach, and ocean beyond. The response to the project, chiefly came from the clients brief to provide a modest two-bed guest house that had a simple farm shed-like appearance. The design explores the vernacular steel portal frame building typology in a highly refined and detailed way. The simple rectilinear floor-plan aligned with the long edges facing North/South, set up a strong primary axis as these also make the best use of the ocean views to the south side and pastoral views to the north. At the point of entry, a framed view through the building to the ocean on the south side is formed.

The project utilizes north and south decks as ‘winter’ and ‘summer’ outdoor space to enable the occupants to use the building mass as sun or wind protection moving to each side as favored. The local cultural significance of metal shed dairy structures (many of which in view of the project) and iconic green rolling pastures in a seaside setting, is honored and further explored. The site positioning offered a significant view towards the nearby dairy with the setting sun over the escarpment offering a unique user experience.

The whole western facade is operable with a system of large operable panels employed to regulate light and views. The system provides dramatic light effects into the living areas or can be fully closed at the touch of a button via Hydraulic cylinders hidden in the subfloor. Sustainability measures incorporated into the design are; passive solar, extra thick highly insulated walls, double glazing, rainwater harvesting (off grid), with UV filtration and treatment, on-site sewage treatment, supplementary solar power.