Located 40 kilometres from the Sydney CBD, Balmy Palmy epitomises modest living. Sitting on a steep site, the dwelling is entrenched within a bushland canopy which effectively forces its inhabitants to recharge.

Designed by CplusC, the home is derived from a prefabricated system that is bolted like a meccano set to the site. The timber structure levitates above the land, with each space connected by outdoor decking.

The home is accessed via a spiral stone staircase which is suffused with light and leaves. Views of the coastline sit behind the scrub, with the kitchen, living room, bathroom and two bedrooms stacked along the outward-looking building.

Working within a tight budget, the prefabricated design minimised materials and waste and maximised time spent on site by all stakeholders. The house is built from low-maintenance materials with low embodied energy, primarily timber and corrugated iron. Careful orientation brings sunlight inside year round and sliding doors and louvres provide cross-ventilation. The bathrooms and irrigation systems are fuelled by rainwater.

“The home is humble in scale, celebrating a simple way of life immersed in the view and the natural surrounds,” says CplusC’s Clinton Cole.

“The design was all about firmly planting the home in the canopies, opening it up to the sunshine, leaves, breeze, and birdlife…. a design that celebrates the pleasures in modesty.”