Architects: Billy Maynard Architect
Lead Architect: Billy Maynard
Year: 2020
Photographs: Rory Gardiner
Manufacturers: Louis Poulsen
Town: Bendalong
Country: Australia
House at Flat Rock residential project, designed by Billy Maynard, an Australian architect in Bendalong, New South Wales, enhances the spatial experience across a modest site with a primary aspect toward a National Park. Completed in 2020, the house uses materials like masonry, concrete, hardwood, and steel to address bushfire regulations, incorporating operable shutters for privacy and microclimate control. The ‘L’ shaped plan connects private rooms to the living space via an external passageway, engaging occupants with the garden. Shared spaces offer curated views, blending the garden and bush, with bespoke interiors resulting from collaboration with fabricators across Australia.
The House at Flat Rock is oriented primarily toward a National Park, with every design decision enhancing the spatial experience across the modest site. The entryway approached through a wild meadow courtyard, is enclosed by a taut roof of weathered steel plate, contrasting sharply with the rough brick façade.
Situated in a bushfire-prone area, the house employs a material palette of masonry, concrete, hardwood, and steel plate. Operable shutters, compliant with bushfire regulations, mediate privacy, microclimate, and the internal relationship with the landscape. Light and darkness interplay to reveal a veil of brickwork achieved through irregular bonds and cuts. During daylight hours, the building blends with the eucalyptus grey trunks and red resin.
The ‘L’ shaped plan features private rooms oriented towards the meadow. Bedrooms connect to the living space via an external passageway, encouraging occupants to engage with the garden and elements. Inside, deep openings containing desks, beds, and storage create an immersive garden experience.
Shared spaces mediate the threshold between the garden and the bush, with curated views from the living spaces suggesting an isolated site. These views serve as a backdrop to a highly social space, where deep daybeds invite shelter and intimacy. The high ceiling, supported by thin 28mm structural beams and clerestory glazing, creates a floating effect.
The detailing is specific and precise. Prototyping and experimentation led to a bespoke interior, including doors, joinery, fittings, furniture, and structural timber. Collaboration with numerous fabricators across Australia contributed to this unique project.
Project Gallery
Project Location
Address: 7 Pine Street, Bendalong, New South Wales 2539, Australia
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
