Treescape—Frenchman’s Beach Holiday House

Perched on a 70-metre sand dune overlooking Frenchman’s Beach, Timbin House provides a sanctuary for three families aspiring to live among the trees. Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) in south-east Queensland is acclaimed for its vast stretches of beaches, the raw beauty of its untouched vegetation and the community’s respect for the land.

Underpinning this house is a longstanding friendship between the three couples that spans over 50 years, and a 25-year friendship with the architect, John Flynn from Conrad Gargett. John says that, because they all know each other so well, it was a fun and highly collaborative process. One of the owners, Luke O’Connell, built the house.

The brief was “camping amongst the trees, but without the tent,” says John. This block of land is full of striking brushbox trees slanted on a 60-degree angle from the prevailing coastal winds travelling up the sand dunes. A key priority was to design around the trees. This required considerable time on site surveying the position of the trees, followed by a 3D scan to understand the canopy line. Multiple design iterations explored the relationship between the proposed house and existing trees before the final form settled. In construction, the formwork and scaffolding were continuously tweaked to ensure the trees weren’t disturbed.

This beautiful site presented challenging environmental conditions. “The house sits within a bushfire zone – BAL40, the second highest rating – overlooking Frenchman’s Beach,” John explains. “There’s a 45-degree batter to the shore so [the house] had to be designed to withstand 300-plus kilometre per hour winds.” Structural concrete, aluminium balustrades and robust glass facade systems were adopted to meet these challenges.

With limited access to the remote site, the construction methodology was kept simple. Preconstructed elements, reduced materials on site and efficient construction sequencing were all integrated in the development of this design.

“The brief was ‘camping amongst the trees’ but they wanted a bit of luxury so there are three master bedrooms with ensuites downstairs for each of the owners and bunk beds for their children and friends upstairs,” says John. The entry sequence starts with double-height glazing showcasing the angled trees and glimpses of the curved building envelope above. With the garage and laundry on one side, a hallway peels away to the master bedrooms with custom elements to cater to each couple’s preferences.

To protect the tree roots, the foundations were pulled back with the upper levels cantilevering out in a curved form to weave between existing tree trunks. Coincidentally, this “created a sort of shelter underneath the slab so when it’s raining, the kangaroos seek refuge and stay for some grass afterwards,” says John. As the existing landscaping was preserved there is little maintenance required – it looks after itself.

Upstairs, the staircase leads the eye past the timber-clad wall to a framed vista of the tree canopy. Full-height glazing hugs the kitchen, living and dining area in order to maximize natural light to the common areas and celebrate the mature vegetation. “It’s only 5.5 meters wide in the living spaces so you’re virtually sitting on a veranda with ocean views on both sides,” says John. The lightness of the architectural l elements in the living areas gives the impression of floating in the tree canopy and creates a memorable experience. “Being on the north-eastern corner in storm weather, the wind just howls in one side and out the other” reflects Luke. “You’re between these two blades of concrete three metres off the ground looking straight out to the ocean.”

Despite the provision for ducted air conditioning, it’s rarely turned on as the house keeps a comfortable temperature all year round. In summer, the house invites cross ventilation with sea breezes, while in winter the high-performing glazing retains any heat gain which is coupled with the thermal lag from concrete elements.

Tucked away on the south-west balcony is a spiral staircase to a 360-degree whale-watching platform on the rooftop. Although the final design of the rooftop is still in process, the provision for solar panels has been designed into the house.

The pared-back material palette was designed to pay homage to its immediate surroundings. Polished concrete floors and exposed ceilings provide a backdrop to celebrate blackbutt timber features and brass finishes designed to patina over time with the salty air. Matching aluminium balustrades and glazing frames directly reference colours in the surrounding vegetation and wider Stradbroke palette. The timber tones continue in the joinery elements through the house creating a relaxing atmosphere.

With the collaborative design process, each element has a story. There’s the craftsmanship of steam tubes built on-site to bend the timber handrails, while one person’s love of cooking is reflected in the selection of the integrated gas cooktop.

Timbin House exemplifies how great design can sensitively integrate with the existing environment to retain native vegetation, allow flora and fauna to thrive and create a source of pride for the local community.