Hausen Court 

Affectionately known as the Banjup Rec Centre, Hausen Court is a considered response to combining indoor and outdoor living, encouraging an active lifestyle and time in nature.

Nestled humbly in a blackened banksia-dominated landscape, the brief intended to create a family home that would provide plenty of opportunities for entertaining and space for the client’s three young children to play. During our first conversation with the client, the first thing we talked about was how we could incorporate a go-cart track (yes, a go-cart track!) and a shed in the design.

As such, biophilic design elements are central to Hausen Court – the house essentially pivots around an outdoor activity space. This space encourages constant movement between the adjacent spaces, with an elevated kitchen and a dining space that effortlessly merges into the backyard.

Similarly, the northerly aspect and views across the bushland draw you out to the scrub. As a result, the home invites you to get outside and explore but at the same time, its simple passive solar traits draw you back in, protected from the blistering heat and the intermittent downpours.

A sense of invincibility and serenity dominate the materiality. The raw rammed earth walls are highly durable, while concrete floors, black granite tops, exposed steel and low maintenance finishes feature heavily throughout. These features are complemented by textural walls and timber tones that soften the spaces.

The serenity comes from the idea of space and distance. Physically located in a separate wing, the parents have a space they can call their own complete with a private courtyard. There is the option to spill out to the outdoor area and keep an eye on the kids if needed. There is also a guest wing, separated from the house via a breezeway. This is the only space orientated away from the core outdoor hub and is a private oasis away from the chaos.