This new-build holiday house is located in Second Valley, on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, on a site with no town water.

Building a new house on the block required a septic system, but the building designer, who the clients originally engaged, didn’t allow for one in their plans.

‘I got involved and did a feasibility study to rationalise the various aspects of the brief with a smaller footprint to allow for the septic system and rainwater tanks as required,’ says  Paul Cooksey, principal architect of Northern Edge Studio, who soon took over the project.

From this new starting point, Paul landed on the work of American architect William Krisel and his signature butterfly roofs in Palm Springs as a potential design reference.

A butterfly-style roof was a way to seamlessly incorporate multiple functions and different living arrangements under the one large gesture, while referencing the look of mid-century architecture as desired by the clients.

‘This resonated a lot for us all as the house also sits in a valley and it’s framed by gorgeous rolling hills of the southern Fleurieu Peninsula,’ says Paul.

He believes original mid-century homes support ‘simpler and smaller less cluttered forms of living — ‘and that isn’t something that is necessarily aligned with modern life where we seem to acquire “stuff” at every turn.’

In this project — which is primarily used as a holiday house — Paul vowed to do things differently.

The size of this house was largely informed by the septic system requirements. Paul explains, ‘It was very clear that the footprint of the house was going to be very small and this required me to think very clearly about the space available and how the various uses could be accommodated on the site.’

The floor plan comprises 140 square metres of habitable space across two levels, which are both self-contained, to allow the clients to rent out the upper storey in future.

Windows and the sloping roof draw the eye to the council-owned reserve opposite, providing the new house with immediate established tree views.

‘I wanted to use this effectively as the garden of the house so that the living spaces and dining spaces opened up onto it,’ Paul says. ‘I envisaged the front of the house being a sort of thoroughfare from the reserve, through to the living spaces, and to the rear most private bedroom spaces.’

The house was built with easily transportable, simple and robust materials selected to minimise costs and ongoing maintenance.

Paul explains, ‘The site is about an hour and a half away from Adelaide and is quite remote, so transporting materials there was always going to be a challenge.

‘Concrete block was used to both give a robust foundation and a strong spine to the building.’

Internally, Durra Panel (compressed straw panels) feature on the ceilings, with cork flooring beneath that both add warmth and durability to the space.

Blackbutt highlights hero surfaces, and the windows are made from uPVC that bears a ‘striking resemblance to the white timber framed windows of mid century homes without poor performance.’

Paul is most proud of the home’s generosity, which supports self-contained living on both levels without dominating the site.

‘When you consider that this house is less than 140 square metres of living area and fits three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living areas, two kitchens, and a very generous staircase, it shows that this approach to houses can result in both a higher standard of living and less floor space.

By minimising the home’s footprint, the clients have been able to invest in design and materials that will last, plus solar panels and rainwater tanks to support more sustainable living.

Paul says, ‘When you’re in the house there is a strong feeling of calm and solidity which comes from the materials and the focus on quality over quantity in the space.

‘It’s a very heartwarming thing to hear as a designer that a home has those types of healing qualities that are very special for a holiday home or rural retreat.’