The Gull House floats above Paterson Lane in Byron Bay. The House has views to the east over Tallow beach and to the north over the Bay.

BUILDER | Anthony Adams

ARCHITECT | Harley Graham Architects

LOCATION | Byron Bay, NSW

PHOTOGRAPHER | David Taylor

Predominantly in lightweight construction the different forms of the house connect with a combination of natural hardwood and fibre cement cladding. Complex shapes hover in the air and slowly stagger down the hill. External materials move from outside to inside. One of the major factors of the house is privacy from the surrounding houses. The use of solid balconies and screens give the house the feeling of a sanctuary even though it has neighbours all around.

GREEN POINTS

The house has no air conditioning, instead making use of natural ventilation, with all living spaces having a northerly aspect. The house runs on a five-kilowatt solar system with battery back up. All roof water is recycled into two 10,000 litre tanks, filtered, and fed back into the whole house for every purpose, from drinking water to toilet flushing. It is a new house that proves that contemporary houses don’t have to be ‘energy sucking beasts’ in the way they work throughout the year.

WRITTEN BY HouseLab