Austin McFarland Architects on Lunchbox Architect

Austin McFarland Architects is a practice in Wingham, on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, led by registered architects Carolyn McFarland FRAIA, the nominated architect, and Russell McFarland FRAIA. Their work spans homes as well as community and education projects.

On Lunchbox, Benbulla House is a second, winter home for Bob, an engineer, and Susan, an author, on a 90-hectare property in the Manning Valley. Their brief was a house "opposite to their home in Pittwater", and the design balances a rational, simple plan for the sensible engineer with plenty of texture and a little "slight chaos" for the expressive author. Timber and brick are the main materials, both with local ties: this is timber country, and bricks were what first brought the couple to the area, when Bob designed a new kiln for the local brickworks.

See Benbulla House on Lunchbox below.

Benbulla House Has Numerous Ties to its Local Area

A home for an engineer and an author combines a rational, simple plan with a ton of texture and 'slight chaos' to satisfy both personalities.