EASTOP ARCHITECTS learns and works on the land of the Wurundjeri People.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians as the first place makers on this land.
We pay our respect to their care and knowledge of this special country and culture.
The remote site of Cuttagee positions itself amongst ancient trees, lush ground coverage, and warm light which filters constantly through the towering tree canopy. The steep sloping site is a fragment of a much larger mountain range that pushes up against and dissipates into the South Pacific Ocean.
The intensity of this natural condition offers an opportunity for a refined architectural response, a clarity that grounds itself in an elemental language of weight, tactility and light. The ground level comprises of a courtyard and pool, a sheltered refuge to take in the surrounding environment. The compact form holds itself to the hillside, elevated just enough to look out over the canopy of trees on the lower slope of the site. Below an entry is framed by planar monolithic walls, setting up the sequence of arrival to the home.
This language continues throughout as monolithic walls brace and contain both topography and the spaces for living and sleeping. In-situ concrete and glass make up the building, allowing the delicacy of internal fabric and exterior foliage to form a balance in which building and landscape are one.