Johanna House

The Johanna House, designed by Nicholas Burns, is a 4 bedrooms, 2 bath house with an open kitchen, dining/living room and cellar located on Johanna beach, Victoria, Australia. The site is on a secluded 100 acres of pristine bush land adjoining the national park with extensive views of the ocean, protected wilderness with known endangered flora and fauna. No trees were cleared in the construction of the house.

Materials used were rammed earth, concrete, glass and steel to create a discrete insertion into the landscape, a journey of gradual and layered concealment and opening of the landscape and ocean; contrasting contraction and expansion, heavy and light, opaque and transparent. Pure geometry and detailing to create a stillness, a dematerialising interconnection with nature, landscape and the passing of time, place and present. More pictures of the construction process and the final result available here.

0 Replies to “Johanna House”

  1. I sure hope this house has low-emmission coatings on all that glass! Otherwise it’s an advertizement for using a woodburning stove to heat the great outdoors, and considering it’s in an area where forests are diminishing, that’s a bad combo.

    1. Hi Dave

      Yes the glass is coated and thickness has been increased. Please note that the climate that close to the ocean is benign and rarely gets below 13 degrees C. The walls and the slab store heat from the sun and the fire is supplementary. The property is a fully vegetated 100 acres and as such fallen timber from the site is sufficient for fuel…

      During the summer the house is passively cooled by cross ventilation.

      Let me know if you have any questions

      Regards

      Nicholas

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