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Photo Credit: Sam Noonan

Plane Tree House is the epitome of understated elegance.

Architects Ink’s design for Plane Tree House, winner of the Institute of Architecture South Australia’s residential architecture award, uses the raw beauty of concrete, timber and glass to complement its natural environment, showing us that rather than dominating the landscape, understated elegance can be achieved through working with the site and materials.

“Plane Tree House is an exemplary exploration of a rarely used construction technique, which has produced a bold series of framed moments capturing the beauty of the site, with not only its view of the city, but its topography,” the judges said.

Poised on the hills surrounding Adelaide, the home balances the roughness of concrete with the translucence of glass to create a design that is as much sculpture as is house. The clean lines of the concrete cut across the horizon, framing the spectacular panoramic views of Adelaide. The house is also framed by plane tree – hence the name - which Architects Ink describe as the “hero” of the architecture.

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Photo Credit: Sam Noonan

The living areas are large and open, with a strong visual connection between the indoor interiors and outdoors. An Escea DL1100 gas fire integrates seamlessly with the timber panelled wall. The warmth of the fireplace and wood surround balances the industrial concrete, off-setting any harshness.

Plane Tree House was inspired by Japanese architect Tadao Ando and the design was tailored to the steep topography of the site. It was the land’s dramatic structure that enabled the design to maximise natural light and ventilation while capturing the panoramic view from every room in the house.

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Photo Credit: Sam Noonan

The three-storey home appears single-storey from the front. On the second level an open-plan living area connects seamlessly to an al fresco entertainment area featuring an Escea EF5000 outdoor gas fire.

The property was also designed to be energy efficient and environmentally sustainable with its home automation system and rainwater storage.