Originally part of an extensive Victorian-era garden on a northern Tasmanian farming estate, this 140-year-old glasshouse had fallen into severe dilapidation and was at risk of collapse.

Through a careful program of analysis and research, the historic structure was catalogued and documented. Unsympathetic repairs and later additions were removed to reveal the original delicate timber and cast-iron form, prior to disassembly, relocation and restoration.

Traditional methods and materials were employed throughout: lime mortar to the sandstock brick base, and linseed oil paints for the timber and cast iron, all originally specified in the 1880 Thomas Messenger & Co. catalogue.

The Eyrie reinterprets the contemporary homestead through a deeply site-responsive architecture, grounded in sustainable land management and ecological regeneration within the historic rural landscape of the Coal River Valley.

Perched on an exposed ridgeline overlooking historic Richmond Village, the house faces west into prevailing and often severe winds. The architecture responds directly to these conditions, anchored to the hillside while opening toward expansive valley views. Rammed earth and freestanding dolerite walls provide thermal mass and shelter, framing internal and external spaces and creating protected pockets for cultivated native planting.

The material palette draws from the site itself: wind-pruned prickly box, exposed dolerite outcrops and the enduring traces of agricultural occupation. Rough-sawn timber, blackened steel and rammed earth are expressed with restraint and honesty. Entirely off-grid, the home is designed for efficient energy and water use, with orientation, thermal mass and controlled openings optimising passive heating and natural ventilation through the seasons.