Rapid Close House: An off-grid retreat rooted in Western Australia’s landscape

Rapid Close House: Off-Grid Sustainable Home in Western Australia

Sited on nearly two hectares in Brigadoon, this residence embraces its elevated and secluded position, capturing expansive views across the Swan Valley, the Perth CBD, and the distant coastal plain. Positioned discreetly among mature trees and built with rammed earth and vernacular materials, the house blends seamlessly into its natural surroundings.

The V-shaped plan unfolds in two wings, carefully draped across the contours of the hillside. One stretches along the ridge, while the other steps gently down the slope. This configuration maximizes passive solar performance, harnessing northern light and prevailing breezes from the southwest, while framing panoramic views to the west and south.

Visitors arrive via a carport that leads alongside a glazed courtyard, filling the living spaces with abundant northern light. Inside, subtle level changes mark the transition between service areas, kitchen, dining, and the main living zones, culminating in a floating deck that extends towards the horizon. To the east, a pop-out volume accommodates a study and daybed niches, discreetly concealed behind sliding doors when desired.

A glazed bridge connects the living and bedroom wings, the latter organized along a gallery-style hallway. This wing includes the laundry, a main bedroom suite, a sheltered outdoor courtyard, and a flexible guest suite or studio. High-level windows bring natural light and winter warmth into south-facing spaces, while views extend across the lawn to remnant bushland beyond.

Completely off-grid, the home is self-sufficient in energy and water. Photovoltaic panels provide electricity, rainwater is harvested through innovative roof detailing, and bushfire-resistant materials ensure resilience within its BAL19 rating. Much of the construction and landscaping was completed by the owner-builders themselves, using stone excavated from the site for gabion and retaining walls, complemented by native plantings.

The material palette reflects modesty and durability: rammed earth, tinted concrete slab floors, galvanized steel cladding, and blackbutt joinery. Small luxuries—like polished Marrakech plaster walls—elevate the interiors. Designed for comfort year-round, the house stays cool through natural ventilation in summer and warm through passive solar gains in winter, with wide roof overhangs and retractable blinds for seasonal shading.

The result is a grounded yet permeable dwelling, one that feels as though it has always been part of the land and will continue to endure. It is a home for retirement, relaxation, and connection—close enough to Perth for city life, yet deeply embedded in the rhythms of the Australian bush.