Architecture, Interiors, Model Making & Furniture Design

Holiday Cabin — Kangaroo Point

Between Object and Landscape

Architectural design | Concept development | Physical model | Sectional study

The cabin is conceived as a dialogue between two unlikely relatives: the sculptural contour of a Coke bottle and the fractured geometry of the site's natural rock wall. Through the abstraction of facets, planes, light and shadow, these two contrasting references are translated into an architectural form that is at once sculptural and responsive to its landscape.

Concept — between object and landscape

The cabin emerges from an unlikely dialogue between two forms: the sculptural contour of a Coke bottle, and the fractured geometric faces of the existing rock wall. The design explores how an architectural form can respond simultaneously to object, landscape and light, translating the visual qualities of these seemingly unrelated references into a unified architectural language.

Coke bottle — the sculptural object

The concept began during the client briefing, where the Coke bottle was discussed as an example of a form in which multiple elements come together to create a cohesive whole.

I became interested in the original contour of the bottle — not simply as a recognisable object, but as a sculptural form. Its rounded edges and multiple facets converge to create a distinctive three-dimensional silhouette, giving it a sense of movement and identity that differentiates it from other beverage containers.

I began to consider how this principle could be translated into architecture: individual planes and facets coming together to form a singular, coherent object.

Rock wall — architecture emerging from the site

The second point of departure was the character of the existing site. A substantial rock wall dominates the landscape, surrounded by trees and overlooking the sea. Its geological surface is composed of irregular planes, angular faces and fractured facets, creating a powerful natural presence. The rock wall became more than a site condition; it became a source of architectural language.

When the Coke bottle and the rock wall were considered together, an unexpected relationship emerged. Although one is manufactured and the other geological, both possess a strong sense of faceted geometry, articulated surfaces and sculptural form.

I translated these qualities into the cabin through a composition of angular forms and interlocking planes. Each volume creates a distinct spatial experience, while the forms remain connected to create a single architectural entity. The intention was not to imitate either the bottle or the rock wall literally, but to abstract their shared characteristics and reinterpret them through architecture.

$The four visual references behind the cabin — the contour of a Coke bottle, a faceted Coke can, and two photographs of the site's fractured rock wall among trees$

The references: the bottle, the faceted can, the rock wall

Sculptural form — light, shadow and imprint

The design was further informed by my interest in sculpture. A sculpture is experienced through movement. Its form changes as we move around it, revealing different planes, profiles and relationships with light. The same object can appear entirely different depending on the direction and intensity of illumination.

This relationship between form and light became an important part of the architectural exploration. As light moves across the faceted surfaces, it creates highlights and shadows that reveal the geometry of the building. Light does not simply illuminate the architecture; it becomes an active participant in its expression, creating changing patterns and impressions across the surfaces throughout the day.

In this sense, the building becomes both an object within the landscape and an instrument for receiving and shaping light. These observations were progressively translated into the architectural form of the cabin.

The resolved design

The final design brings together the influences of object, geology, sculpture and light into a cohesive architectural composition.

The sectional study develops the conceptual form into a considered architectural response to the site. Floor levels are carefully positioned in relation to the natural fall of the land, while the sectional relationship to the summer and winter sun angles at midday informs the building's environmental performance and solar response.

The section also records the integration of architectural and constructional elements, including Colorbond roof sheeting, box gutters, timber batten screens, exposed steel I-beams, thermal mass, hydronic underfloor heating and a heated spa.

The resulting cabin is conceived as more than a collection of functional spaces. It is an exploration of how geometry, landscape, material, light and construction can converge to create architecture with a sculptural identity.