... ARCHITECTS CABIN...
The Cabin design is conditioned by Geoffrey Bawa's outlook of incorporating the outside elements of a site into the inside of a design. The solid fence and walls that surrounds the site, blocks the user from unwanted noise and wind, while also offering private spaces outside that can be used. This kind of design creates vegetative barriers from unwanted activities around the property. Allowing the user to experience the Cabin to its full potential as it efficiently acts as a filter from the certain aspects of the surrounding environment. Although the Cabin also embraces the fact that it backs right onto a park, allowing the user to catch glimpses of the established park when in the northern courtyard of the Cabin, this offers a delightful experience.The abundance of courtyards in and outside of the house offer a delightful experience while also displaying functional properties. Some of these functional properties include; allowing fresh cross ventilation throughout the Cabin and also filtering the direct sunlight through the heavy vegetation contained within the courtyards to offer diffused light. Due to the area being of sub-tropical climate it was important to create a Cabin that allowed for windows to be kept open during the day time (the windows in the internal courtyards allow this), the Cabin allows for this whilst still being able to feel safe and secure.
- A House is a Container for Human Activity -
The spatial relationships in the Cabin design have been deliberately placed to ensure private spaces such as working and sleeping areas have been zoned away from the public spaces which consist of the dining, kitchen and living rooms. Further, throughout the Cabin there are private and public courtyards which allow a delightful experience. When circulating through the spaces you are constantly confronted with pleasant outdoor spaces, which relates back to an important concept of Geoffrey Bawa's.
- A House is a Delightful Experience -
The form of the building is condition by the idea of Bawa's, that containing the site into the floor plan creates much delight. When viewing from the outside of the Cabin, the design looks rather closed off due to the lack of windows in the walls. You become surprised as you enter through the front courtyard gate to reveal the inside of the Cabin which contains a diverse range of spaces all offering uniquely delightful experiences. The Cabin utilized the existing vegetation and large natural rocks which were found on the site prior to its existence. With following Geoffrey Bawa's intent and persistence of wanting to use local materials, the walls in the design of the Cabin are of rammed earth (a locally sourced material) which exhibits high thermal mass allowing the slow release of heat when surrounding temperatures decrease. This material is aesthetically pleasing whilst at the same time creates a welcoming feeling. As mentioned above noise can be blocked out very efficiently by this material. Finally a delightful experience is felt as you walk through the Cabin past the outside and back into the inside spaces allowing you to feel at one with nature.
