A modern building with a distinctive white architectural frame and large glass panels reveals a bright interior, surrounded by a dense, vibrant garden.

Stradbroke House

Project type - New build

Celebrating the nostalgia of camping in a light and expressive holiday home

Stradbroke House was designed in collaboration with Gabriel and Elizabeth Poole and built with a clever group of fabricators. Our client wanted a holiday home on South Stradbroke Island where she can enjoy time with friends and family, especially her four grandsons who she wanted “to experience uncomplicated but comfortable camping.”

The expressive, exuberant house comprises two steel-framed pavilions linked by a breezeway. The single-storey western pavilion has an open-plan living, kitchen and dining area extending out to a northern verandah. The two-storey eastern pavilion accommodates the bedrooms and bathrooms. On the ground floor, the exterior walls of the twin rumpus rooms fold down to create four canvas-roofed sleeping pods that evoke the experience of camping. Upstairs, three bedrooms are connected to the ground floor via an internal staircase and an external water slide.

The house is constructed with a lightweight, custom-steel fabrication. Portal frames have raking arms that extend up and beyond the roof line, like tent poles. The verandah awning stretches across the deck to leaning steel columns with built-in hammock seating suspended over the landscape.

Modern outdoor living space with a slatted white pergola casting striped shadows over a patio furnished with a hanging sofa and sleek seating, all set amidst vibrant greenery and connected to a contemporary house. — The outdoor living room on the north side of the house.

A modern white slatted pergola casts striped shadows over a light wooden deck furnished with a table, beanbag, and suspended swing chair, all set within a vibrant green garden under a clear blue sky. — The outdoor living room.

A contemporary outdoor shower area, complete with a white slatted pergola, light wooden deck, and dark privacy screen, is surrounded by vibrant green foliage on a sunny day. — View toward the sleeping pavilion, alcove fully retracted.

A modern white building with angular roof supports overlooks a dense green landscape with a curving wooden boardwalk, all under a bright blue sky. — Entry bridge from the west (beach) side.

A sunny modern outdoor living area features a white, slatted pergola overhead, casting stripes of shadow across a grey wooden deck furnished with beanbag chairs, an orange lounge, and a white structure with a bright blue awning. — Sleeping alcove fully extended.

A modern bedroom with an orange and white striped bed, light wood built-in cabinetry, white shelving displaying two artworks, and a window on the right. — Bedroom custom joinery and wardrobe.

A bright, contemporary living room features a wooden window seat, a grey sofa, a white coffee table, and a 3D tree sculpture on the wall, with large windows revealing a lush outdoor view. — Living room, daybed alcove to left. 'Tree of Life' wall sculpture by Elizabeth Poole at right.

Spiraling metal leaf sculpture hangs prominently in a modern home, overlooking a hallway with a cable railing and open doorways to bright interior rooms. — Upper level sleeping areas, hanging bird sculpture by Elizabeth Poole.

A modern, sunlit open-plan kitchen features light wood cabinetry, white counters, and wire bar stools, connected by a large retractable glass wall that casts striped shadows. — View into the north-facing kitchen.

A modern, sunlit bedroom features a bed with dark linens, light wood built-in wardrobes and a headboard with shelving, next to a window with a white blind. — Bedroom detail.

A detailed black and white architectural floor plan illustrates a house with numerous rooms, extensive outdoor terraces, a carport, and landscaped gardens, identified by a numbered legend. — Lower Floorplan. The house is split into two pavilions. A single-level living pavilion toward the beach (west) and a double-storey sleeping pavilion to the east. They are connected by a breezeway.

A black and white architectural floor plan displays a house featuring a master bedroom, additional bedrooms, bathrooms, and expansive outdoor spaces with decks, paths, trees, and a distinctive U-shaped structure. — Upper Floorplan of the sleeping pavilion.

An architectural section drawing by Gabriel Poole shows a "Holiday Camping Alcove" with a retractable PVC canopy, an outdoor couch, and an interior featuring a desk and bed, connected to a bedroom structure. — Detail drawing showing the mechanism of retractable alcoves, drawn by Gabriel Poole.

Team

Tim Bennetton, Gabriel Poole, Elizabeth Poole and Simon Martin

Collaborators

Steel: Barry Hamlet of Studio Steel
Builder: Charles Warren Constructions
Structural engineer: Rod Bligh of Bligh Tanner
Cabinetmaker: Des Shield
Canvas: Mike Murray (Creative Canvas and Blinds)

Year Built

2017

Location

South Stradbroke Island, Queensland

Country

Quandamooka People, specifically the Nunukul (or Noonuccal) and Goenpul clans

Photographer

Mindi Cooke and Harry Frith

Awards

Queensland Architecture Awards 2018
Robin Dods Award for Residential Architecture, New House
Gold Coast Region, House of the Year
Gold Coast Region, Sustainability Award
State Shortlist, for Sustainable Architecture