Orientation

Main axis NNE, a compromise between optimum solar path at this latitude and dominant weather direction. The house gets direct early morning light which aids in dehumidification and the afternoon light reflects off the surrounding hills.

Weather

The area gets about 4000mm of rain per year spread unevenly over 10 months. Extended torrential rainfall is common followed by periods of beautiful sunny weather. Winter drizzle currently makes stand alone solar power uneconomic unless battery costs come down. All water is easily obtained on-site. Rain is the main domestic water source with a permanent spring and stream as back-up. Being in a cyclone zone dictates protective architectural design features and robust construction.

Topography / Access

Extreme local terrain facilitates panoramic views which dictate design. Site access via a narrow former timber track. Track width and clearance heights limit the dimensions of building materials being brought on-site.

Humidity and Condensation

Frequent and rapid changes in temperature and humidity from cloud, fog and violent storms necessitate incorporating significant passive and active design solutions. Active and passive humidity control design features are essential.

Air Flow

Under the rainforest canopy the air can be dead calm. Studio Nimbus exploits pressure differential and a venturi effect to facilitate both passive and active airflow beneath and within the house.

Wildlife

The main section of the house is raised 3m off the ground. In general the pods do not need to be accessed after dark so the largely nocturnal wildlife can transit the site undisturbed. Balconies incorporate non-disruptive red lighting to permit night time wildlife viewing.

Clearing the Site

Clearing rainforest regrowth presents a complex three dimensional puzzle. The sequence of clearing of individual trees and their attached vines needs to be carefully considered. Overly rapid clearing can create dangerous “house of cards” situations. Mechanical clearing at an hourly rate can be exceedingly destructive. The house site had been cleared of major trees for a timber camp in 1928 and a mine prospecting camp in 1963. Only two trees were big enough to mill on site into planks. The planks were dried, treated and used for interior feature walls. The rest of the site was cleared by hand using axes and ropes. Equipment was only brought in to move stubborn stumps off to the sides of the site. From the sides, there the cleared material was cut into pieces small enough to be moved by one or two persons and distributed throughout the surrounding rainforest. Some material was assembled in piles, nesting sites and hollows to replace any habitat lost in the clearing. Clearing was done gradually to assist wildlife in moving to new homes with minimal stress. After 18 months most of the distributed timber had been consumed by the rainforest.

General Guiding Principal

Rainforests are masters at recycling. Assume from the time you enter a rainforest that it is trying its best to consume you and you have a good baseline for your design parameters.

Carbon Offset

Studio Nimbus permits us to carry out rainforest repair and restoration of currently an estimated 1.2 million plants with and estimated current carbon mass of 24,000 tonnes. As the rainforest gets healthier , new growth captures many additional tonnes of carbon per year. Restoring rainforest to health is an effective yet ignored method of carbon capture.

Materials Transport / Telecommunications

Materials must often be accessed from the state capital some 1800km away @ $5000 per semi-truckload so the truck must be full, measurements correct the first time and nothing forgotten. This requires a bit of communication and co-ordination..