Innovative Holiday Home Redefines Living in Australian Bush

High in the canopy of a eucalyptus forest in New South Wales, a new holiday home challenges conventional notions of living in fire-prone areas. Designed by Jason Gibney Design Workshop, this residence, named “Amongst the Eucalypts,” balances the need for safety with a deep connection to nature, offering a retreat that respects the volatile character of its surroundings.

The clients approached the design team with a unique vision: to create a space that provides both refuge and connection, capturing the immersive experience of camping while ensuring protection against the region’s extremes. They envisioned a home where family and friends can gather but also find solitude within the embrace of nature.

Architectural Design that Harmonizes with Nature

The architectural response is a thoughtful study in balance. The house is strategically positioned on a steeply sloped site, following the natural contours of the hill. Its split form fosters intimate, private areas while promoting what the jury of the 2025 NSW Architecture Awards described as “a quiet dialogue between space and landscape beyond.” This design does not overshadow its setting or retreat from it; rather, it unfolds to engage with the upper realm of the forest.

Material choices reflect the challenges of building in bushfire-prone regions. The home employs a deliberately raw and robust palette of plywood, lightweight cladding, and metal, which not only melds seamlessly with the remote environment but also ensures low maintenance and vital fire protection. These materials age gracefully in the elements, developing character over time rather than requiring constant upkeep.

What distinguishes this project is its embrace of impermanence. The home features an operable facade that allows it to adapt to the elements, transforming its relationship with the outdoors. Outdoor washrooms and a loose-fit interior embody a camping-inspired ethos, where the boundaries between inside and outside blur. This design suggests a lifestyle that is more adaptable and responsive to seasonal changes and natural rhythms.

A Recognition of Thoughtful Design

Constructed by Midcoast Construction on Worimi land, the home received a Commendation for Residential Architecture at the 2025 NSW Architecture Awards and was recognized in the Sustainable Architecture category at the National Architecture Awards Program. The jury commended the design team for addressing the pressing question of how to build responsibly in fire-prone landscapes.

Photography by Justin Alexander captures the home’s unique position among the eucalypts, highlighting how it neither floats above nor is buried within the forest but coexists comfortably with its surroundings.

As climate change intensifies fire seasons across Australia, projects like “Amongst the Eucalypts” offer more than aesthetic appeal. They illustrate that it is possible to build in bushland without sacrificing a connection to nature or the need for safety. This home stands as a testament to the idea that thoughtful design can create spaces of genuine sanctuary and contemplation, allowing for engagement with the landscape while providing the solace of protection from its extremes.