O House in Australia by Reitsma and Associates

The guys from Reitsma and Associates comes to us with an impresive house designed by Trevor Reitsma,the O House boasts innovation in design with its feature central court and attention to detail. Located on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia, the dwelling is perfectly suited to the local climate with its seamless indoor/outdoor nature. Situated on a canal front in an urban Estate the brief was to ensure canal views were exploited, however privacy and zoning were additional criteria to be addressed.

The feature central court enables key criteria to be met. Complete with a pool, breakfast patio and deck the court provides a private outdoor space which is usable all year round. Floor to ceiling glazing frame the central area providing a glass sandwich effect and allows natural light to flood the primary living zones and walkways.

This lowset dwelling is cleverly zoned into main living area, bedroom strip and entry via the interconnecting court. The court can extend to the canal front covered outdoor living and family area via large multi track sliding doors, which can be completely recessed into the wall cavity for the ultimate in outdoor living. As a single depth building cross flow ventilation is exploited perfect for warmer climates while the central fireplace ensures occupants can experience outdoor living during the cooler months.

Visually the home boasts horizontal forms created via the inverted low pitch hipped roof, effectively leaving all elevations to act as a clean lined canvas with interest  added through a combination of steel portals, full height glazing and feature stack stoned wall. The indoor/outdoor nature of the home is heightened by finishing details such as the recessed tracks to the court and canal, uniform tiles for indoor and outdoor zones and the use of timber decking and battened walls which bleed from the entry to the foyer. Internally the visual simplicity is mimicked via upmarket kitchen fittings, subtle raked ceilings and outdoor views from all main living areas, walkways and immediately upon entry. The visual result is similar to the signature post and beam work of architectural styles in the 1960′s.