Cascade House is a cosy and robust family home, built for the architect’s own family on a unique  internal site close to inner Hobart, on a sunny north-facing slope. The modest-sized living spaces have generous distant views balanced with a partly-walled enclosure for comfort and privacy.

The property was once the rear garden of an early 1800’s stone cottage that is thought to have been occupied by the Commandant from the nearby Female Factory.  The internal title has existed since the early 1970s but has always been a backyard for the larger house. The entry area and courtyard walls are made from local sandstone: Buckland stone for the entry columns; and local convict-picked blocks that were salvaged from the site. The family likes cosy spaces and natural light. Masonry and stone walls were used to provide a sense of enclosure and refuge.

“Having children who are very different ages, it has always been important for me that our home has the flexibility of space to be comfortable and cosy, whilst also comfortably accommodating different groups of people. I love the way that each family member can have friends over, but not feel on top of each other. I love the way our home connects to the greenery outside. For example, in the loungeroom, every window gives a different view: trees, leaves, the mountain or the sky. It feels very nurturing, like a balm to the senses.”

The house is capped with a green roof of native plants. The green roof has many benefits including its aesthetics and glare-minimisation for neighbours on the hill above, rainwater capture and use, and natural thermal insulation.