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Architects: Green Studio
- Area: 22 m²
- Year: 2020
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Photographs:Callan Green
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Lead Architect: Callan Green
Text description provided by the architects. In December 2019, the rural community of Sarsfield faced an unprecedented challenge as the threat of bushfires loomed. Residents grappled with the possibility of losing their homes, estates, livestock, bushland, and attached memories, highlighting the deep attachment Australians have to their land. In Sarsfield, this connection was palpable, rooted in the reliance on the surrounding landscape for sustenance and solace. Despite efforts, the devastation was severe, with numerous homes lost and scars left on the landscape. The experience underscored the fragility of life and the enduring bond between Australians and their land.
This library cabin is a response to those devastating bushfires in Victoria. It serves as a symbol of a recovering landscape and a strengthened community—a place to reflect, to watch the landscape heal, a place to watch the trees grow. The building presents itself in the form of a ‘metal clad shed’ of the Australian vernacular upon the landscape common to it. The path curves along a single-track fence line under an ancient Yellow Box Eucalypt where the beehive boxes hum. A detour along the kangaroo track meandering the natural contour, a drooping roof form presents an architectural language of shelter and respite, nodding to the quirks of rural living.
Stepping inside, the scent of Oregon and Eucalypt timbers is undeniable, while the low ceiling of curved beams directs the gaze into the landscape. The floor folds to natural contours, with the upper level stepping up at the curve of the roof, reminding the visitor of the stepped form sinking deeply into the scarred landscape. The stepped floorplate, raised on its timber post structure, focuses outward views downwards, highlighting the grasses and growing eucalypts. Timber structural members employ traditional Australian joinery in poetic ways; the deep curve of the roof beams are made of classic half lap and scarf joins, whilst the singular internal step uses an overly large mortice and tenon – all joinery favors the use of interlocking members rather than mechanical fixings.
No new materials were used in this building. Everything was reclaimed, repaired, and reinvested in a continued journey of the circular economy. Large glass panels were removed and repurposed from a beachside penthouse apartment, cedar frames of operable windows were transferred from a suburban family extension project, large Oregon beams saved from the skip of a nearby demolition project were assembled into structural frames and internal shelving, the classic four-panel door once gracing a nearby town hall was sanded back to reveal 100-year-old hand-cut joins in solid Teak timber. Each piece has a story; each piece will now be part of a new chapter.
The library is open to the public, maintaining an important resource of books for Sarsfield residents. Encounters with locals are promoted by its proximity to the local walking tracks. At the time of completion, self-sprung eucalypts surround the library, ranging from 1-3m in height; eventually, the library will be dwarfed by the growing landscape.
