Shearers Quarters House is a minimalist property designed in 2011 by John Wardle Architects, sited on a working sheep farm in Bruny Island, Tasmania, Australia. This charming home sits as a companion building to an existing historic cottage. The property is comprised of 440 hectares and has been a family business for over ten years. The owners main priority has been reviving the landscape and conserving over 150 hectares, with more than 6,000 indigenous trees planted. The home itself is situated where there once was an old shearing shed, which was demolished by a fire in the 1980s. The shearers quarters was designed for vacation or weekend usage for shearers, family and guests for annual tree planting. The interiors is comprised of a spacious open plan living, kitchen and dining area with two bedroom, a bunk room, small bathroom and a laundry room.

According to the architects, “The plan form transforms along its length to shift the profile of a slender skillion at the western end to a broad gable at the east. The geometry of this shift is carried through to the layout of internal walls, lining boards and window frames.”

The interior palette was selected to be very neutral, with the natural landscape taking center stage. Material selections consisted of timber used for the interiors and a corrugated galvanized iron clad to the exterior facade. The interiors are lined with Pinus Macrocarpa, which was locally sourced, but mainly came from trees from old rural windbreaks. In the bedrooms, reclaimed apple box crates line the walls, which were collected from old orchards of the Huon Valley.

Photos: Trevor Mein