Studio: Alexandra Buchanan Architecture
Project type: New Build House
Location: Highvale, Samford Valley, Brisbane QLD
Status: Completed
Floor area: 283sqm
Photography: Andy Macpherson
Design Team: Fidelis
Architectural Team: Alexandra Buchanan with Shane Wilmett
Construction Team: Div Build
Materials: Timber, FC, Steel, Glass

The skylight illuminates the house entrance.

The living areas are distinguished by a rich palette of stone and wood, which adds warmth and richness to the interior.

The kitchen and dining area have a single layout system with pendant lighting and clerestory windows to view the backyard garden.

A kitchen with dark cabinetry and island, high-end appliances, and dark wood walls and flooring.

A house with traditional Japanese elements that combines the clients' cultural heritage with a sense of local regionalism. — A house with traditional Japanese elements that combines the clients’ cultural heritage with a sense of local regionalism.

The bathroom, which features a black freestanding tub and steel faucet.

The bathroom's integrated sink with a large vanity mirror. — The bathroom’s integrated sink with a large vanity mirror.

The exposed lighting illuminates the corridor with wall mounted customized plant shelving.

A man sits on the wooden deck, looking out at the Japanese-inspired garden.

A view of the kitchen from the garden, via the large glass door that connects to the opposite side of the house.

A house in sloping site highlighting the Japanese inspired garden.

A house wrapped in metal cladding, speaks to rural Australian vernacular and reads as a singular element.

The generous glazed facade with high clerestory windows allows light deep into the width of the house.

Highvale House sits amongst native gums on a sloping site. Perched on posts to disturb the land as little as possible, this raised position provides vistas through branches to the valley and hills beyond.

Wrapped in metal cladding, the house speaks to rural Australian vernacular and reads as a singular element, both sculptural and responsive to the local climate. The plan’s program borrows from traditional Japanese elements, marrying the clients’ cultural heritage with a kind of local regionalism.

The program includes a Genkan, Engawa and Washitsu. The plan has a distinct separation between living and sleeping areas linked with a continuous corridor providing light and ventilation throughout. The living areas are characterised by a rich palette of stone and timber offering warmth and richness to the interior.

The generous glazed façade with high clerestory windows allows light deep into the width of the plan while providing opportunity to control daylight levels with floor to ceiling drapery offering a softness to the interior palette.