Dianna Thomas Architect
Dianna Thomas Architect began 10 years ago, as part of a collaborative group studio in Sydney. A sea-change in 2002 brought us to live and work in MacMasters Beach on the Central Coast of NSW. Designs are contemporary and uncomplicated, stemming from the tradition of mid-twentieth century modernism, updated for an environmentally aware twenty-first century. Buildings that celebrate their setting and are a joy for our clients to inhabit. Our mission is to improve the quality of the built environment through a high standard of design that stands out due to its simplicity and striking use of colour.
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Projects:
Bouddi House
Central Coast NSW, 2008
A simple holiday house that celebrates its coastal bushland setting, and provides generous communal spaces for the owners and their frequent guests, built from sturdy materials that require minimal maintenance. The house is not large. A compact plan was decided upon, yet the house feels spacious and the rooms sizes are generous. The house is positioned beside a beautiful Blackbutt tree that has been shaped by the prevailing winds. The upper floor of the house sits beneath the canopy of this mature tree. The branches overhang the deck, within arms reach. The tree is visible from almost every room of the long thin house and forms a sculptural foreground to the ocean views beyond. The tree provides a microclimate for the house, mitigating the heat in summer. On the hottest summer days the main deck is at least 5 degrees cooler than the neighbours’ verandahs. Winter sun is at a lower angle, and penetrates beneath the canopy, deep into the interior of the house. As it adjoins the National Park the property is in a Bushfire Flame Zone. Bushfire protection measures are integrated into the fabric of the house. When open, the customised fire shutters also signal that the house is occupied. Bushwalkers in the park can see straight through the building to ocean beyond. With shutters closed, the house rests quietly in the landscape.
Yattalunga House
Central Coast NSW, 2009
Responding to unique waterfront site and challenging brief for a home that provided universal access and required minimal maintenance – this house has generated much community interest. The owners work from home. Work spaces are separated from the living and sleeping parts of the house, in two distinct buildings, with different exterior materials and forms. They interconnect via a verandah that runs through the centre of the house, a transitional space between the interior and outside world.
