A copper-clad house for bushfire resilience

Photo by Katherine Lu

The Copper Ribbon House celebrates ‘resilience’ on a beautiful site right on the edge of the ocean that was severely damaged by the devastating bushfires of summer 2019/20. Any rebuild in such a place had to respond to future bushfire risks and to the tough coastal environment of the cliff edge. The clients also wanted a house that was easy to maintain and relaxing to live in.

We responded with a robust concrete structure wrapped in a corrugated copper ribbon that will develop a patina, becoming part of its landscape over time. Internally, the palette acknowledges the coastal setting of sand underfoot, joinery that responds to the spotted gums around it, and wet areas that reflect the colour of the ocean.

We are aware of the embodied carbon in a project like this and make sure that the house is designed for a minimum 100 year life so will survive bush fires and other climate related changes and so off-setting the carbon within it over time. Loose fit, long life.

We’ve just uploaded the project on our website, read more about it here.

Photos by Katherine Lu.