The Crow's Nest

In the aftermath of Christmas Eve 1974, when Cyclone Tracy flattened most of Darwin, the architectural lessons from the past seemed lost. Concerns about houses withstanding another natural disaster resulted in the spread of airtight houses as solid as concrete bunkers that were wholly unsuited to the climate.

Enter Troppo Architects in February 1981 with the simple architectural mantra of keeping out the sun, working with the breeze and living in harmony with the Territory landscape. People became increasingly enamoured with the casual but comfortable nature of Troppo homes and soon Coconut Grove was dubbed “Troppoville” as a cluster of Troppo-designed houses sprang up in the suburb.

 

The house is one of the eight original Troppo-designed houses built in Coconut Grove. When the current owners bought the home in 2011, the house had weathered the decades with resilience, but by 2018, it fell to Daniel and Genaye to update it for 21st century living.

The house is located beside one of Darwin’s most secluded and undeveloped mangrove-carpeted foreshores. As part of a renovation that was to include new external cladding, an updated main bathroom and driveway, the owners wanted to build an external structure that would maximise their views across the top of the dense leaf canopy of the mangroves to the Arafura Sea.

Working with architect Hully Liveris, Daniel and the owners brainstormed a crow’s nest that would provide sweeping 360-degree views of the seascape. Building this bespoke, nautical feature was not easily achieved and required considerable lateral thought from the La Perouse team. The resulting one-of-a-kind, cylindrical piece of “garden art” is a celebration of an aesthetically pleasing construction while achieving the practical purpose of maximising the stunning views.

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Sitting atop a slim steel mast, the crow’s nest soars almost eight metres into the air and is a metre higher than the surrounding roofline – just enough to peek over the mangroves and out to sea, but not so high as to be intrusive. From within the crow’s nest, views or the seascape are seemingly limitless. A palette of light colours and raw textures references and connects the crow’s nest with its natural surroundings.

The building of the crow’s nest was only part of the story. La Perouse also turned their attention to refreshing the house and grounds with new external cladding, an updated main bathroom and new driveway.

The original external wall cladding, faux wood-grain panelling, advertised for its strength in cyclonic regions, was a favoured choice in post-Tracy Darwin. It was time for a change! The old cladding was removed, and the walls re-clad in corrugated Zincalume; a product with high solar reflection properties. From an aesthetic perspective, Zincalume fits the Troppo style and will continue to retain its natural, somewhat rugged appearance well into the future. As a bonus, this material sheds dirt (and flying fox dung) and still ensures strength in cyclonic events.

Another achievement of this renovation is the updating of the tired and outdated main bathroom. In typical 1980’s style, this bathroom was a jumble of heavily patterned wall and floor tiles all competing for attention. The old bathroom was worn and poorly planned; it was definitely time to welcome this outdated space into the modern era. By comparison, the new bathroom features straight, clean lines, uncluttered counter spaces and colour palettes that match the tone of the rest of the house.

The street appeal of the home was compromised by an uneven and cracked paved driveway that was at odds with the elegant, welcoming exterior of the home. The owners wanted to recreate the colour of the local soil in the driveway, so the La Perouse team created their own unique mix of liquid limestone concrete that closely mimics the naturally occurring colours. The new high-quality and aesthetically pleasing driveway has completely transformed the appeal of the street entrance.

The remodelling of this home represents another renovation achievement for La Perouse Homes. With regular client contact, the team kept the project moving and the client happy. Trades flowed effortlessly in and out to ensure deadlines were kept while achieving the maximum quality output. Never ones for compromise, Daniel and Genaye  undertook this renovation with respect for the existing space. Good renovation creates a new experience while keeping the essence of the previous design. The attention to detail lavished on this home by La Perouse has turned this iconic Troppo property into a more modern, sophisticated family residence that sits comfortably with the original design and respects and compliments Troppo’s ongoing basic principle of structural and environmental connectedness.

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