Sustainable Homes

This Off-Grid Holiday Home Makes The Most Of Its Serene Views

Hidden a few hours south of Sydney, lies an off-grid home in Robertson that backs onto the untouched rainforest of the Yarrawa Brush.

Designed by Takt Studio, the property blends mid-century inspirations with a simple palette of timber to embrace the site’s natural beauty and Kangaroo Valley views.

It now stands in place of what was once an empty block occupied by the client’s caravan, creating a new and improved retreat that’s an immersive escape from suburban life.

Written
by
Christina Karras

Camp Yarrawa by Takt Studio is a serene holiday home with guest accomodation in Robertson, New South Wales. Photo – Shantanu Starick and Takt Studio

The remote property enjoys an outlook of the enchanting Yarrawa Brush and Kangaroo Valley. Photo – Shantanu Starick and Takt Studio

It features a natural stone wall made from local basal and timber, supported by expressed steel posts. Photo – Shantanu Starick and Takt Studio

An outdoor courtyard separates the main house and guest accomodation, offering a space for the owners to come together amongst the lush landscapes. Photo – Shantanu Starick and Takt Studio

Inside, timber features are balanced with retro-inspired pops of colour. Photo – Shantanu Starick and Takt Studio

 

A propped skylight slot runs the entire length of the main house, which enables a connection between the two contrasting edges of the site. Photo – Shantanu Starick and Takt Studio

Mid-century modern influences come through in the home’s use of timber inside. Photo – Shantanu Starick and Takt Studio

The patterned tiles are another nod to the owners’ love of retro design. Photo – Shantanu Starick and Takt Studio

The expansive windows capture the changing light across the day. Photo – Shantanu Starick and Takt Studio

Outdoor spaces like a covered deck and dining area are incorporated across the main house. Photo – Shantanu Starick and Takt Studio

A relaxing blue-toned bathroom. Photo – Shantanu Starick and Takt Studio

It’s been designed as the perfect getaway from suburban Sydney life. Photo – Shantanu Starick and Takt Studio

Writer
Christina Karras
9th of March 2023

The initial brief behind this home in Robertson, New South Wales, was to create a holiday retreat for the owners that could serve as an escape from their everyday lives as professionals in Sydney.

Takt Studio co-founder and director Katharina Hendel says their requests were for a ‘modest main house’ and a smaller pavilion with guest accommodation that avoided the usual ‘trappings of suburban living’.

This meant foregoing elements like a large garage in favour of a country home with shed, veggie garden and solar farm that powers the off-grid abode.

‘The design was primarily driven by the unique site, on a ledge overlooking the valley to the east and backed by remnant rainforest, the Yarrawa brush, to the west,’ Katharina says. ‘The home seeks to connect those contrasting outlooks.’

A propped skylight slot runs the length of the main house, capturing the forest views and the shifting western sun and eastern light across the day. They cleverly positioned the residence and guest house just off the sides of a gentle hill, making room for an outdoor courtyard between them.

In addition to embracing the site’s remote landscape with wide windows and a series of deck spaces, the owners’ love of mid-century modern design also helped influence the project’s unique aesthetic.

‘[We employed a] simple palette to suit its environment: robust and straightforward,’ Katharina says.

The materials include fieldstone from the site, rough sawn cladding, expressed steel posts, raw-fibre cement sheets and hardwood windows, which was balanced by the client’s collection of objects and furniture.

Katharina describes the home’s fit out as warm, ‘and at times colourful’, thanks to the pops of yellow and blue elements, alongside retro-style tiles in the kitchen.

The property beautifully captures the breathtaking views of Kangaroo Valley and the Tasman Sea beyond. It’s easy to see why the owners now spend a large part of their time there, with plans to make it their home base in the years to come.

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