HARDWOOD RESIDENCE

competition entry for flood resilient timber house
awarded Special Commendation

in collaboration with Edmund Limadinata & Amanda Lau
2023, RESILIENT TIMBER HOMES DESIGN COMPETITION

Hardwood Residence

Can a home located in a flood-prone locality be both practical and beautiful, built primarily with timber while ensuring unparalleled comfort, functionality, and desirability?

Situated in South Australia, the design of the house prioritises passive heating and cooling strategies, by harnessing north light from the street front and bringing light towards southern backyard and bringing comfort to the occupants.

Following the Flood Resilient Building Guidance and the Reducing Vulnerability of Building to Flood Damage documents, the construction of the house utilises water resilient timber hardwood for stud framework. The facade cladding employs charred-hardwood timber; where the sealing and charring maximises the resilience of hardwood against already water resistant hardwood.

Additionally, the wall insulation is rigid foam insulation, which is water-resistant compared to standard batt insulation. To ensure quick drainage, the windows feature integrated louvers strategically positioned for efficient water runoff. Moreover, the internal wall lining and cabinetry utilises sealed marine plywood, commonly used in maritime and naval construction, offering additional flood-resistant properties.

At its very core, the project is crafted to provide a beautiful, biophilic, comfortable, functional, resilient and lasting home for the family, through utilising hardwood timber as material both as finishing material with charred hardwood cladding, marine plywood internally and studwork structural construction with spotted gum or blackbutt stands in resilience against flood and with biophilic qualities for this project, thus aptly bears the name Hardwood Residence.