paul morgan architects: trunk house

australia-based paul morgan architects has developed ‘trunk house’, a small cabin in victoria’s central highlands. the brief includes a living area, small kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms that would connect the clients with the isolation one finds in a forest, and the closeness to the birdlife. the concept originated from forms of bleached bones of kangaroos and sheep found lying around on farmland.    by thickening the joints, additional loads could be carried, where by investigating in the structure of bones,  the foundation could interpreted timber beams. the idea developed into utilizing tree forks or bifurcations as the  framework for the cabin. joined to straight columns with internal metal plates, an internal column with radiating  beams completes the skeletal construction, where the complete triangulated truss system attains greater inherent strength. 

north-west elevationduring the build, a mobile milling machine was delivered to site, where the lining boards were milled, cured on site,  and then fixed internally. the configuration of the floor-boards in the living room attribute to a more natural contrast of the  experience of being in the woods. as a result, a minimal carbon footprint is achieved for the sourcing and installation of the reclaimed panels. 

north-west deck, peter bennetts

north elevation

kitchen area

interior/ exterior transparent relationship with the surrounding forest

a small habitat that connects with the forest

bifurcation detail