FOR SOME, BIGGER WITH ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES is better when it
comes to building a family home, but Andrew Winchester and Kinara Johnson wanted
just the opposite. Their two-storey, three-bedroom home in the foothills of Hobart’s
Mount Wellington is simple, minimal and kind to the environment, without making
any concessions to space and style. “I’ve always been a conservationist at heart,”
says Kinara, who grew up a few suburbs away. “Living sustainably is important to us.
We often reflect on how we live and whether we can simplify.”
GREEN MACHINE Using passive solar principles, such as northern orientation
with insulated double glazing (so requiring minimal heating and zero cooling), solar hot
water and natural materials with good thermal properties, the home is an eco-friendly
extension of its bush setting. The shell was constructed using rammed earth, an age-old
building technique with a beautiful natural finish (see p69). “The rammed earth is one of
our favourite features,” Andrew says. “It’s a much warmer finish than concrete.” As well
as its thermal properties (it’s a good insulator, so it stores heat), it provides protection
from bushfires, according to the home’s designer, Michael Shrapnel of Beachouse
Architecture, who paired the natural material with metal cladding and cedar windows.
“We built a fire-resistant house, but we haven’t built a concrete bunker,” he explains.
GREAT ESCAPE With only a scattering of neighbours and sweeping views of bushland
and mountains, it’s hard to believe Hobart’s CBD is a mere 10-minute drive from the
couple’s home. “We can open up the bedroom and feel like we’re in the treetops,” says
Kinara. “In winter, we leave all the blinds open and wake up in the morning with the sun
shining through the trees. That’s pretty hard to beat,” Andrew adds. R@reallivingmag
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