Tent House

The vacation house in Noosa, Australia, by Sparks Architects pairs an operable insulated box for cooler months that allows habitation to a tent-like amenity in warmer months.

Sparks Architect designed a 4 bedroom family dwelling with a central open plan living and kitchen space. Responding to this and the unique site, the living space feeds to east and west corridors providing bedroom access, and nooks for study, day bed and storage. The pavilion running along the east-west contour allows all rooms to enjoy the rainforest view to the north maximizing winter solar gain.

The architectural response is a duel concept pairing an operable insulated box for cooler months that allows habitation to a tent-like amenity in warmer months. The walls, or doors, of the box slide open manually, while the roof, or lid, has an automated sliding operation. With the roof fully open the translucent tent membrane comes into view and a new volume, light, and material is experienced. As the doors slide open the forest wall becomes an architectural element; a natural wall that contains a broader space of the house plan, stretching it across the remaining clearing and garden.

The tent roof serves as a “fly roof” above the insulated roof and takes the brunt of the heat load. The void between the two roof elements allows for a simple stack ventilation process. The varied pitches of the tent roof maximise winter sun penetration and protects the east, west and southern exposures.