Sam & Peter
Creating a sustainable sanctuary near the sea
Location: Tasmania, Australia
Project tasks: New build by the sea
Size: 3 bedroom, 2 living
Booken Blend Resource: Sustainable Build Checklist
Photographer: Lisa, Booken Blend
Escape from the rat race to a life by the sea.
This was Sam and Peter’s vision, that came into sharper focus after Peter's life-altering accident.
Peter & Sam’s discovery of a rugged bush block overlooking Swan Bay was just the very beginning of their sustainable house journey.
They have since dedicated six years to meticulously researching their dream home and have continuously found themselves drawn to the efficiency and comfort of passive solar design.
The result? River View Barn, a stunning black Colorbond creation, is perfectly elongated to soak up the winter sun, making it a cozy haven during the chilly Tasmanian winters.
A slower life more connected to the sea.
Sam and Peter always longed for a life away from the rat race; however, after Peter experienced a horrific accident at work and suffered burns to sixty-five per cent of his body, they doubled down on their commitment to a slower life more connected to nature and sea.
So when Sam & Peter stumbled on a rugged bush block with incredible views over majestic Swan Bay (that instantly reminded Sam of her childhood), they knew they had found the one.
They then spent six years (yes, six years!) researching their perfect forever home. During the research phase, Sam & Peter began learning about passive solar design, and they were instantly hooked on the idea of designing their home to be more efficient and comfortable using nature's free resources.
It was then a team effort between architect Michael Loubse and builder Willl Campbell from Davies Construction that brought their vision of a high-performing barn-style beauty to life.
Highlights
Highlights
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Passive Solar
Focused on passive solar design, optimizing natural light and energy efficiency.
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Thermal Mass
Integrated a concrete slab for thermal mass and effective thermal regulation.
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Site Selection
They chose a bushland property overlooking Swan Bay, resonating with Sam's childhood memories.
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Orientation
Orientation to capture views and the north winter sun.
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Life-Altering Catalyst
Peter's accident catalyzed their move to a serene seaside environment to prioritize well-being.
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The Right Team
Engaged with architect Michael Loubse and builder Will Campbell to realize their barn-style home.
Embracing the messy middle
The black Colorbond show-stopper, River View Barn, is purposefully long and skinny to capture the winter sun and keep Sam & Peter's family cosy throughout the long Tasmanian winters.
Plentiful glazing on the north allows the sun to penetrate inside their home, warming the burnished concrete slab and storing heat for later in the day when it radiates back into the room (for our Simple Sustainable Build Workshop tribe, this is covered in Module 03 - Video 3.2.2 Thermal Mass).
After six years of dreaming and researching, Sam & Peter are busting at the seams to begin their new seaside life, making this 'messy middle' part of their build feel like it’s dragging on forever.
It’s very fortunate, then, that they have a chief foreman, Bear, on the job to keep a close eye on things and move things along; he also comes super cheap ;)
Boots and I would like to send a big thank you to Sam & Peter for sharing the progress of their beautiful build with us (and also for the sensational Tasmanian wine), and we can't wait to come back and see the finished product!
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