Cascade House

Cascade House | Tasmania, Australia | 2020
[Core Collective Architects]

Cascade House is a cosy and robust family home, built for the architect’s own family on a unique internal site close to inner Hobart, on a sunny north-facing slope. The modest-sized living spaces have generous distant views balanced with a partly-walled enclosure for comfort and privacy.

The architect built the home with the help of family members and a selection of local tradespeople.

The property was once the rear garden of an early 1800’s stone cottage that is thought to have been occupied by the Commandant from the nearby Female Factory. The internal title has existed since the early 1970s but has always been a backyard for the larger house.

The land is a completely internalised block with six immediate neighbours, a shared laneway access for cars and a separate pedestrian walkway from the road, planted with fruit trees and berries.

The entry area and courtyard walls are made from local sandstone: Buckland stone for the entry columns; and local convict-picked blocks that were salvaged from the site.

“Having children who are very different ages, it has always been important for me that our home has the flexibility of space to be comfortable and cosy, whilst also comfortably accommodating different groups of people. I love the way that each family member can have friends over, but not feel on top of each other.” – CLIENT, CASCADE HOUSE

The family likes cosy spaces and natural light. Masonry and stone walls were used to provide a sense of enclosure and refuge.

“I love the way our home connects to the greenery outside. For example, in the lounge room, every window gives a different view: trees, leaves, the mountain or the sky. It feels very nurturing, like a balm to the senses.” – CLIENT, CASCADE HOUSE

The house is capped with a green roof of native plants. The green roof has many benefits including its aesthetics and glare-minimisation for neighbours on the hill above, rainwater capture and use, and natural thermal insulation. Text description by the architects.