Bold design makes tiny seniors home movable proposition
LOS ANGELES: Bold design and clever engineering have made a tiny seniors home a moveable proposition.
This is far from your typical home — Casa Acton is a movable dwelling.
It was designed by co-founding director of Archier Josh Fitzgerald and his partner Millie Ashton.
They describe it as having “a sense of weight and time that is inextricably entwined with our daily routines”.
“Casa Acton began as an experiment of restraint and practicality; a means to expedite our longer-term goals,” Mr Fitzgerald said.
“It needed to suit our basic needs and nothing more.
“Surprisingly though, this introspection has quite literally changed the way we live.
“The singular living space was daunting to design but is now familiar, comforting, and inclusive; the raw materiality is tactile, ever-changing and reminiscent of the effort that went into constructing it.”
Built on family land on Hobart’s Eastern Shore, Casa Acton was designed from the outset to be moved.
Its steel bearers can be cut away from the foundations, acting as lifting points for a crane.
The floor, walls and roof are made from Structurally Insulated Panels that have double layer sheeting, meaning it is well braced for transport.
The owners have discussed moving the dwelling with Merlin Construction and Siege Cranes.
Harrison Agents sales consultant Georgie Rayner said last year Casa Acton picked up a commendation for new residential architecture at the Tasmanian Architecture Awards.
“The owners are building on their dream block, which means the time is right for Casa Acton to have a new owner,” she said.
“It is a fascinating dwelling.
“And Josh is happy to visit its future site to help the next owner with how best to orientate it or what they will need to do with things like council permits.”
Mrs Rayner described the fixtures and fittings as “mind-blowing”.
“It is a highly detailed, high-quality home,” she said.
“It has attracted a good level of inquiry since hitting the market. People from just down the road in Acton Park, the Huon Valley, Bruny Island, and the East Coast have shown interest in it.”
Casa Acton’s floor area is 53sq m which complies with the planning requirements of an ancillary dwelling.
Indoor plants and furniture help articulate the separation of spaces, with circulation a subtle element contributing to how one experiences the house.
A wall of full-height double glazing bathes the space with light throughout the day.
Smaller windows to the east, south and west contribute daylight without compromising thermal performance.
Currently oriented due north, the double glazing and thermal mass of the sandstone paving heats the house in winter.
Conversely, operable windows and eaves help maintain a cooler temperature in summer, negating the need for any mechanical form of cooling.
The house is clad with locally sourced timber.
Rough sawn and green, it was installed using the traditional batten and board technique, allowing it to move as it settled in place.
Deliberately left unfinished, it has already begun to show its age, greying-off where it is most exposed to the weather while remaining honey brown where protected.
There is hand-laid sandstone floor, uneven flagstones, sourced from a quarry in the Tasmanian Highlands, add texture underfoot.
The low-lying spotted gum island bench evokes a farmhouse dining table feeling.
The kitchen space steps down behind, which allows the owner to stand and cook on one side, leaving a perfect height for dining or work on the other.
