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Sjøhavn House/Lightbody Architects
Text description provided by the architect. The name “Sjøhavn” was inspired by the client’s Scandinavian heritage and means “sea garden”. The area is located within Australia’s Noosa River network and is famous for being a place for locals and tourists to relax and unwind. Due to its riverside location, the house required a design response that was sensitive to flood levels. The underlying principle of the project was to design a family home that responds to the natural environment while creating an overall sense of connection and providing interstitial spaces for rest and privacy. The connection between ground level and river edge was an important consideration identified during the initial briefing.
The client’s design brief develops the overall scheme of the house. The design interprets individual functional spaces as simple volumes, while also taking into account spatial overlap and how spaces can be occupied. Understanding the client’s design brief provides the overall functionality of the core space within the house. These primary spaces therefore create opportunities for exploring smaller “in-between” or overlapping spaces. These smaller intersecting areas create a series of liminal spaces, providing connections to the main areas as well as areas for occupants to retreat and seek privacy from the activity. A minimalist material palette creates a sense of cohesion within these interstitial and main spaces while reinforcing the seamless connection between the interior and exterior functions of this family home.
The concentrated double-height space creates a visual connection between the two-story residence while providing a connection to the ground level, all the way to the river. This expressive gesture creates a main external living area with two smaller intimate spaces connected by a cantilever above. These small spaces on either side provide opportunities for rest, reflection and solitude. The exterior area to the east and the connection to the river reference the traditional concept of the “balcony”. The exterior areas draw on the quintessentially Queenslander vernacular form of the ‘balcony’, providing edge occupation and connection to the river and reinforcing the role of the exterior living areas as destinations rather than just circulation.
During preliminary discussions with the client, it was suggested to use shaped concrete as the main material, taking into account its longevity, elasticity, thermal qualities and design flexibility. This materiality provided the opportunity to free the ground from the structure and surround the second level with hanging planters. The east facade uses a structural strategy of long spans and cantilevers, providing the opportunity to enjoy the cascading landscape from above. By utilizing passive design principles combined with the thermal qualities of concrete, the house works with the surrounding climate to maintain optimal temperatures inside during the day and night.
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