Mt Coot-Tha House by Nielsen Jenkins
Surrounded by the trees, Mt Coot-Tha by Brisbane architecture firm Nielsen Jenkins is a family home designed to withstand extreme bushfire exposure.
Words: Emma-Kate Wilson | Photography: Tom Ross
Featuring raw materiality, Mt Coot-Tha takes inspiration from brutalist architecture. Photo: Tom Ross
The architecture is juxtaposed by the use of warm timber details. Photo: Tom Ross
Nestled into the bush on a steep block, high concrete block walls envelop the family within brutalist architecture that, though minimal in design, provides ample framework for the inhabitants to make it their own.
Designed by Brisbane architecture firm Nielsen Jenkins, Mt Coot-Tha was a family affair. Crafted for principal architect Morgan Jenkins’ sister and her family, the plot of slopping bushland was located next to their childhood home, sold to her by mum still living next door.
Another critical element was the ability to withstand extreme bushfire threats. ‘We had to spend a lot of energy and money on the way it's built to combat the bush fire,’ says Morgan. ‘The way that the building is held together was much more about the defensive nature of the cladding, as opposed to introducing heaps of detail into the building.’
This project, immersed in the bush, was full of intimate spaces wrapped around a central spine; the family four have abundant space to retreat while an open plan kitchen/ dining/ living brings them together in the heart of the home next to the luscious internal courtyard.
‘All the rooms relate to low, lush courtyards, and then they all have high windows that pick up the canopy of the top of the bush going up the hill,’ says Morgan Jenkins. Photo: Tom Ross
The spaces are all open to the exterior, letting in natural light. Photo: Tom Ross
Solid, brutalist forms dominate the design. Photo: Tom Ross
“Mt Coot-Tha is energy efficient in its performative quality in terms of the materiality, durability, and cost-effectiveness. We were really excited about these elements coming together.”
The bedrooms continue the strong connection to the outdoors. Photo: Tom Ross
The lush green plantation at Mt Coot-Tha House. Photo: Tom Ross
Consideration of the landscape is essential for all their clients, along with close consultation about what kind of greenery best suits them. ‘When we talk to our clients, we always begin the discussion with what sort of landscape they’d prefer and allocate these budgets for landscaping from the start,’ says fellow principal architect Lachlan Nielsen.
‘What we're trying to do is to minimize upkeep on these buildings and minimize maintenance,’ adds Morgan. ‘The garden should take over, and the building can just settle into it.’
Featuring raw materiality, Mt Coot-Tha takes inspiration from brutalist architecture, which continues into a modernist interior approach. A blend of vintage Danish furniture meets built-in pieces the firm are known for including in their projects for a holistic design approach.
Primarily, this is a home to cherish the outdoors. On the outside of the building, high narrow windows in each room capturing the canopy or, on the inside, floor-to-ceiling windows connecting interior rooms to the external ones.
Conclusively, Mt Coot-Tha revels in Nielsen Jenkins’ philosophy of being responsive to context and place — while also returning a family home to be loved for years to come.
‘The building is arranged around the central spine, which is expressed in concrete blocks. So we had this idea of occupiable contours as you move up the site,’ says Morgan Jenkins. Photo: Tom Ross