Darkwood Residence is a sustainable home located in Deviot, Australia, designed in 2019 by Cumulus Studio.

Description
Wilderness at heart. Wilderness at home. Step straight off the veranda and stroll amongst towering trees. Or take a window seat, and feel suspended in the Tamar Valley views. Darkwood is simple for the most part, but clever when it matters. It?s not detached from its surroundings, but part of it. The house steps down the steep hill to closely match the ground line, allowing it to stay connected to nature. And what remarkable nature it is, with views over the river, through the trees, and to the beaches and bays beyond.
Clever, not posh. Our clients, Matt and Eloise wanted a home with a small, sustainable footprint and smart use of space. We collaborated closely with Matt, who built Darkwood himself. From raw plate steel kitchen bench and splashbacks to durable flooring, nothing is too fussy. A tin metal skin proved robust, low maintenance and cost-effective. Then we timber clad the outer areas you?d come in contact with so they felt more tactile, almost like joinery or furniture. Macrocarpa, a plantation timber, kept this sustainable as did solar panels, good insulation and a wetback heating system.
Back to nature. Our response was relatively low tech, stripped back and simple. We prioritised the natural surrounds, natural light and hard-wearing natural materials to fit the brief. A folded, sculptural roof lets light flood the living...