Sanctum House – Tasmania, Australia

This Tasmanian family home provides a sense of quiet sanctuary through its refined, minimal palette of robust materials in pared back tones, including Vulcan Nexus Cladding in Protector - Ebony for exterior cladding and and Vulcan Cladding also in Ebony for interior linings.

Created by Churchill Architects for a family with deep roots in the area, this Newstead home is designed to stay comfortable year round, using materials that can withstand Tasmania’s dramatic seasonal temperature changes.

This meant designing using passive house principles for constancy in terms of interior temperatures, including high-performing insulation and thermal mass that warms the lower floor through solar gain. It also meant specifying external materials that can withstand these variations.

In terms of the latter, the home uses a mix of esoteric handmade bricks imported from Denmark and richly toned Abodo Vulcan timber cladding in Ebony – the result being a beautifully contrasting series of plains, with the lightweight timber elements resting, and cantilevering in some areas, over the denser bricks.

Dark finishes such as Ebony tend to be avoided for exterior uses in areas that are subject to hot temperatures, but Vulcan remains stable due to its thermal modification process, which effectively pre-exposes the timber to changes in temperature.

For continuity indoors, this combination of materials and colours then flows through to the interior linings, where it is particularly effective in the double volume kitchen and living space.