New Jersey Hinterland House Architecture in Australia by Morris Partnership Architecture

Designed by Morris Partnership Architecture, this residential architecture project of Hinterland House is located on a remote site and engages with the Australian landscape and redefines the boundary between interior and exterior.

Arriving at Hinterland House is a startling experience. The sandy track winds through the sloping site and stops at a gravel clearing. A powerful rammed earth wall, firmly anchored to the ground, enables other elements to float. The site seems to flow through the building and there is no obvious entry – the house is deliberately elusive; it challenges expectations.

The architecture allows views of the site to be enjoyed and confronted – the dam, modest scrub, bushfire-scarred eucalypts and abundant wildlife. The design is a fragmented building with living, working and sleeping zones separated by glazed slots, links and open spaces.

Once inside, the excitement of the building and the site is revealed. Personal privacy is created without the use of barriers. Movement between zones provides a continual disconnection that is reinforced by changes in materials. The house requires a journey with minimal definition between the interior and exterior.

This house is provocative in its rejection of any easy gratification of the aesthetic – it invites the occupants to think, observe and encounter the uniqueness of the Australian bush.