Whittlesea — Earth-Sheltered House
A low-profile, earth-bermed home shaped by the hillside. Concrete vaults and a planted roof provide thermal stability and bushfire performance, while courtyards draw light and fresh air into the plan. Completed in 2020; featured widely in media in 2022.
Brief & Site
The clients sought a house that belongs to the land — quiet, robust and comfortable in extremes of heat, cold and wind. The steep, fire-prone rural block suggested an earth-integrated approach with minimal visual impact from the road and ridgelines.
- Three bedrooms with flexible study/guest zone and a sheltered central family space.
- Low-maintenance finishes, non-combustible exterior, and protected outdoor rooms.
- Passive comfort with very low operational energy and provision for off-grid upgrades.
See: Principles of Earth-Sheltering Bushfire-Resistant Houses
Design Response
The house reads as a gentle ground-line. A series of reinforced concrete vaults span between retaining sidewalls, setting the planning rhythm: living and kitchen to the sun, bedrooms to quieter turf-covered berms, and a central gallery with long paddock views.
A planted roof restores the hillside ecology and provides thermal ballast above high-performance waterproofing. Deep reveals and steel fins protect openings; shutters and stone walls complete passive shading and ember control.
- Courtyards pull light/air deep into the plan while remaining protected from wind and ember attack.
- Services are consolidated to one line for efficient plumbing and maintenance.
- High acoustic calm from mass and earth coverage allows generous family spaces without echo.
Plan Logic
- Spans allow internal partitions to move over time.
- Roof load path is direct → foundations are predictable.
- Courtyards act as smoke relief and daylight chimneys.
Bushfire & Resilience
Situated in a high-risk landscape, the home is detailed to BAL-40/FZ principles using continuous non-combustible skins and protected penetrations. While final ratings depend on site-specific assessment, the strategy is deliberately conservative.
- Continuous shell: off-form concrete + insulated roofing with no vented exterior cavities.
- Protected openings: steel frames, ember-proof screens and deep recesses to all glazing.
- Radiant heat management: berms and courtyard walls act as heat shields in the approach path.
- Hardware: metal gutters with ember guards; sealed eaves; metal doors to plant/utility rooms.
Storm & Heat Resilience
- Roof garden moderates peak summer roof temperatures.
- Redundant drainage: surface swales + subsoil toe drains to daylight.
- Low-maintenance exterior: no paint or combustible claddings.
Structure & Envelope
- Structure: reinforced concrete vaults on strip footings/grade beams; retaining sidewalls act as buttresses.
- Waterproofing: multi-layer membrane with protection board + drainage composite; inspection points at low points.
- Insulation: rigid board over the shell; thermal breaks at steel penetrations; insulated slab edge.
- Ventilation: cross-flow via courtyards; clerestories sized for stack effect; trickle vents for night purging.
- Finishes: lime-wash to interior concrete; stone and hardwood to touch surfaces.
Services & Systems
- Provision for future PV + battery and rainwater reuse.
- Hydronic zoning ready (low-temperature design).
- All downpipes accessible; cleanouts at each courtyard sump.
Project Gallery
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Delivery Timeline
- 2017–2018: Concept design, planning pathway and early bushfire strategy.
- 2018–2019: Documentation and procurement; landscape coordination and services design.
- 2019–2020: Construction in staged sequence; commissioning and handover.
- 2022: Featured nationally on television and in media.
Team & Credits
- Architecture: Baldwin O’Bryan Architects
- Landscape & drainage strategy: In-house concept with local civil collaboration
- Structural concept: Reinforced concrete arch/vault system
- Builder: Local contractor (rural delivery)
- Photography / drawings: Project materials courtesy of the studio and client