bunkeren house: half-buried volumes integrate with sloping site in rural australia

BUNKEREN house in rural Australia by JAMES STOCKWELL ARCHITECT

James Stockwell’s Bunkeren house stands on a sloping site in Whitebridge, Australia, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding bushland and the ocean. Designed to accommodate a couple and their four young children, this five-bedroom home and studio unfolds in the form of a generous L-shaped plan. Prioritizing connections with the immediate landscape, the house pays homage to the architecture of Jørn Utzon and the sturdy beauty of coastal bunkers.

The house displays concrete textures and innovative form, a choice made to withstand the area’s harsh weather conditions and bushfire risks. The intention was not to create a traditional, object-based structure but rather landscape-driven spaces that invite exploration and habitation. Drawing inspiration from the architect’s previous works like the Miura Fold House and the Croft House, Bunkeren continues the exploration of the building as a harmonious extension of the natural surroundings. By partially burying the building, it seamlessly blends with the land, erasing the boundaries between structure and earth while also fostering connections with wildlife. Resilience and openness to nature are achieved without compromising comfort or creating cramped interiors.

all images by James Stockwell the house effortlessly integrates with its natural surroundings.

Bunkeren’s interiors effortlessly embrace the outdoors

The Bunkeren house gracefully coexists with its environment and offers its residents a tranquil living experience amidst the beauty of Australian landscapes. It draws inspiration from the memories of military fortresses in James’s hometown of Albany and the decaying World War II bunkers along the Danish coast, which are powerful personal touchstones for both the architect and his clients. These influences are evident in the siting and interior experiences of the home, rather than just its material palette or exterior form.

The gardens within the concrete plates contribute to the camouflage of the building from the street and extend the existing ecosystem over the house.‘Often people just build bang in the middle of a site and then across the contour to see the view, and that blocks off the natural systems. The way we set up this plan is really to allow passages of water and wildlife through and around,’ explains the architect. ‘The building is partially dug-in but the idea is that, if you’re on a steep site like this, there’s a journey to be made by animals yourself and by water. It also gives you the ability to go from inside to outside on level ground. When people build up high to look at the view, they can’t easily make use of the spaces behind and in front of the house.’

concrete was chosen as a practical response to the area’s severe weather and bushfire threats

inside James Stockwell’s Nature-Inspired House

Bunkeren’s design is characterized by its seamless integration with the surrounding landscape, drawing inspiration from local flora and fauna. The house features roof gardens that mimic the nearby bushland, incorporating native plant species like Allocasuarina, prostrate banksia, and Xanthorrhoea. This greenery extends over the concrete structure, merging the house with the existing ecosystem.

Upon entering the house from the upper level, visitors are greeted by a curved concrete wall that conceals the main bedroom, ensuite, and walk-in robe. This architectural feature guides visitors down the stairs to the ground floor. The children’s bedrooms and bathroom follow the contour of the land to the left of the main wings. The design allows for flexible use of space between private and communal areas. Sliding panels at the intersection of the main wings create an adaptable sitting room or study. Behind the kitchen, smaller storage and study spaces are tucked away, providing uninterrupted views of Dudley Beach from the communal areas. A sunken balustrade, acting as a hidden channel 900 millimeters below floor level, offers a unique feature, functioning as a popular hidden passage for children’s games and imagined as another planted ‘moat.’

as the house unfolds down the sloping site, it creates a series of ground floors

The Bunkeren design incorporates pendant lights to create warm, domestic spaces with sweeping views of the coastline. The lighting selection, including Peter Zumthor’s candela di vals and designs by Utzon and Louis Poulsen, enhances the family home’s atmosphere. The design includes breaks in the plan to allow the landscape to flow through the project. The north terrace features a raised concrete pool, surrounded by landscape, separating the main house from a self-contained guest studio. An unassuming narrow stair along the southern edge connects the kitchen to the lowest part of the house, integrating it with the ground.

The concrete walls and plates on the main level appear to hover beyond the hillside, separated by a narrow glass ‘moat’. In the lower space, a stone room serves as a cellar and a place for special family dinners, resting entirely on rock and earth, creating a secretive and immersive experience within the project’s entanglement with the earth.

By working with the natural rock shape, the designers incorporated it into the stair treads and entrance area as the project developed. The outcome is a subterranean yet transparent space, where the rock appears to burst through the glazing with its carefully design.

a raised concrete pool adorns the north terrace, nestled amidst the landscape

‘I do like the idea of architecture being not so contrived in that it makes itself all complete and finished. I like an unfinished quality to things – a sketchiness, if you like – because it means that it gives room for people to inhabit and invent. If all the decisions have been made and everything is all in its place, all neat and worked out, then it’s kind of dead. That’s part of the reason to try to make labyrinthine spaces in plan so that you get these journeys through space.’

The open-ended and sketchy qualities of the design allow for various forms of occupation and use, giving room for people to inhabit and invent the spaces. Bunkeren is an evolving project that embraces ambiguity and complexity, gradually blending with its natural surroundings. Bunkeren creates floating spaces both above and below the ground. It’s slowly evolving, becoming more finished while embracing its integration with the surrounding nature, including the plants, animals, and natural flows of the site.

the house floods with unobstructed views of the bushland and the ocean