Cairns Rainforest Retreat
Uncategorised | 13 July 2018
Spectacularly blended with its wild surrounds, ‘Planchonella House’ was dreamed up and created by husband and wife, Jesse Bennet, an architect and builder, and Anne-Marie Campagnolo, an interior designer. The Edge Hill property feels incredibly isolated, nestled against the lush rainforest of Mt Whitfield Conservation Park, yet is located just 15 minutes from Cairns town center.
The house uses solid walls and columns sparingly, preferring sliding glass doors and windows to allow the magic of the rainforest to truly flow into the cozy interior. As if the nature-filled 4,818m² section wasn’t enough, the home’s interior is brought to life with even more tropical flora, hanging in pots and as feature ‘living walls’.
Aside from the spacious open plan living and dining areas, the house has three light-filled bedrooms and two bathrooms. The majority of the indoor and outdoor spaces orient themselves towards a breath-taking view over the canopy and down to the city and shore in the distance.
The house features a number of intelligent design features to minimize environmental impact and run the home as efficiently as possible. To keep the home cool in the often sweltering tropical conditions of Northern Queensland, passive cooling systems have been incorporated into the design, including a ‘green roof’ with over 600 hard wearing Rhoeo Spathacea plants.
Planchonella House is for sale right now, with price estimates of $4 – 4.4 million. After seeing the stunning images, it should come as no surprise that this one-of-a-kind property has won multiple awards at regional, state, national and international levels:
Australian Institute of Architects 2015
- National – Winner – Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture (New Houses)
- Queensland State – Winner – Robin Dods Award for Residential Architecture (New Houses)
- Far North Queensland Regionals – House of the Year & Regional Project of the Year
Houses Magazine Awards 2015
- Winner – Australian House of the Year
- Winner – New House over 200m²
Australian Interior Design Awards 2015
- Winner – New House over 200m²
- Shortlist (Residential Design)
American Architecture Prize 2017
- Winner – Interior Design / Residential
Click through the gallery below to see more incredible images of the property