room 11 offers relief from tasmania's blinding sunlight with all-black interiors

across the narrow d’entrecasteaux channel, australian studio room 11 situates a stone dwelling overlooking tasmania’s bruny island. accessible only by boat, bruny is a remote and beautiful destination landscape. designed to offer natural sunlight and sweeping views, the architecture maintains protection from buffeting offshore winds and the demanding glare off of the vast plane of water. together with a durable construction, the home offers a reassurance in its solid and contained presence within the vast, remote landscape.

all images by ben hosking

room 11 designs its d’entrecasteaux house with a high, stone-walled outer skin, recalling the distinctive geological character of tasmania. the region is defined by its land formations of hard, igneous dolerite which date back 180 million years. the fortress-like exterior of the dwelling on bruny island offers a light, timber interior. these contrasting built elements satisfy both the physical and psychological need that the location demands of the architecture. the house employs a non-orthogonal plan where massive stone walls encompass living spaces finished with black-stained timber. the dark stain effectively provides relief from the blisteringly bright tasmanian light and projects the occupant into the landscape beyond.

room 11 curates its d’entrecasteaux house with a simple pallet, dark within a pale stone exterior. the orientation of face-fixed bespoke glazing focuses attention upon specific elements of the landscape, providing an opportunity for repose. service functions are wrapped up in shiny black boxes. the kitchen island bench sits as a crisp blunt monolith. black bathrooms feature generous skylights and full height tiling. applying passive methods of sustainable performance, the house harvests rainwater and recycles wastewater onsite.

project info:

project title: d’entrecasteaux house

architecture: room 11

location: apollo bay, bruny island, tasmania

project architect: thomas bailey

photography: ben hosking