Architects Sans-Arc spoke to Hospitality magazine about the inspiration for the tiny bar and the range of sustainable measures that feature throughout the space.
What was the inspiration behind the design?
Throughout the design process, the concept evolved and settled on exploring the typology of the wilderness hut. Huts are located in remote or isolated areas and often in geographically unique places. Generally speaking, materials have to be sourced locally. As a result, the materiality and aesthetics of the wilderness hut are varied but with a few common threads. Often timber is sourced by felling the trees on site and stone or earth is gathered from nearby. This approach creates a vernacular style among huts, with different elements or nuances associated with a particular region or locality.
How did you work with such a tiny footprint?
The internal ceilings are raked to express the 60-degree roof pitch and timber truss structure, which attempts to relieve the feeling of tightness associated with a narrow space by accentuating the height and overall volume.
There was an obvious need for light to penetrate the space as well as create a compact floorplan that dealt efficiently with the limited width. Efficient circulation, by means of a hallway down the southern side of the space allows for pockets, services and spill-out spaces to the north. The two huts are separated in the middle by a courtyard of similar size, the bar to the street, a dining hut to the rear. This layered approach allows light to filter into both spaces, but also accentuates the movement of walking through the space, crossing multiple thresholds and experiencing three different spaces.
Can you list the sustainable measures incorporated into the project?
All of the material selection was based around the principles of hut construction and have been considered in relation to their impact/sustainability of production and ability for re-use. As much as possible, there was an attempt to use familiar Australian materials.
The structure is timber framed and uses locally sourced Australian hardwood as cladding including seconds of spotted gum, Tasmanian oak and ironbark. Excessive use of steel or other virgin materials was limited as much as possible. The bessa block walls and paving can be seen as the most vernacular masonry option in the Adelaide — our ‘local stone’.
How important is sustainability and eco considerations when designing a hospitality venue?
Sustainability is inherent to what we do at Sans-Arc, but is often not on the forefront of hospitality venue owner’s minds. Working within tight budget and timelines, the sustainability principles need to be cost considerate and efficient. We aim to integrate as much natural ventilation as possible, along with responsibly sourced materials, with a big emphasis on the use of sustainably grown timber and the avoidance of structural steel.
