Nestled into the southern Tasmanian landscape sits Room11’s floating home Triptych project – three unique buildings spanning across a pristine Tasman Peninsula locale. One of the buildings is Koonya, a home with an experience that extends all the way to the horizon. The outdoor sculptural piece (the Pulmonum), main house and Glass House offer a retreat as well as a raw and direct connection to place that is potent and memorable. As such, Room11 establishes a strong and unwavering approach to creating a floating home.

Concrete is abundantly used across the three projects, with Room11 drawing on its solidity to create a standalone floating home in a broad landscape that offers an immense, modern art-like structure whilst still feeling comfortable and providing a sense of sanctuary.

The key to establishing architecture in such a remote location is considering and highlighting the qualities of the site. The large window looking out towards the horizon acts as a piece of art, marking the endpoint of a journey as one descends into the building before being projected into the landscape. The somewhat brutal approach to creating this floating home allowed Room11 to make playful interventions off the main spaces. For example, one of the bedrooms has a low, horizontal window that offers views of the landscape beyond when one lies down. Additionally, the master bedroom has a sheepskin cupboard, providing a playful and enjoyable element that also exudes a feeling of warmth.

In the bathrooms, the view is replaced by reflections, as mirrors are extensively used throughout in both. The master bathroom contains a bath that is recessed into the ground, with a long window that allows one to bathe whilst enjoying the view of the rolling hills outside. Furniture and interior design elements are kept to a minimum to further showcase the landscape as the focal point.
The landscaping around the floating home, driven by the particular gravels on the roadways as one journeys to the residence, serves to establish a perimeter around the building to protect it from the elements. Ventilation in the main house occurs through a bespoke vent system that beautifully captures the crossflow from northerly and southerly winds that pass through the area.

A remarkable architectural injection into a remote landscape, the Triptych project features a floating home that harmonises with the raw, untouched beauty of the Tasmanian coastline in a way that is robust and strong whilst still remaining sensitive and peaceful.

00:00 - Engaging Concrete To Create The Floating Home
00:55 - Introduction to TRIPTYCH
01:55 - The Client's Vision
02:20 - The Process Of Arrival
02:47 - Playful Interventions Throughout The Home
03:36 - Utilising Mirrors In The Interior Design
04:09 - Landscaping Inspired By The Journey
04:35 - Bespoke Ventilation System
05:09 - The 4th Built Element
05:36 - Manifesting The Original Idea

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Photography by Adam Gibson.
Architecture, Interior Design and Landscape by Room11.
Build by Elevate Building Tasmania.
Engineering by Gandy and Roberts.
Filmed and Edited by Dan Preston.
Production by The Local Project.

The Local Project acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land in Australia. We recognise the importance of First Nations peoples in the identity of our country and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations people of these lands.

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