Holocene House: Water & Sustainable Architecture

Water as a Design Focus

In this architectural concept, the traditional pool is not placed beside the house or in the backyard; instead, it extends directly through the heart of the living space. Water is used as a primary organizing element, serving as a pathway that connects different parts of the house, as a means of climate control within the space, and as a guiding factor for the design of all other components. This arrangement creates a sense of natural flow, imparting a dynamic and harmonious character to the space.

Interaction Between Natural and Artificial Elements

Above the watercourse, a distinctive canopy of floating plants and geometric panels forms, contributing to a carefully calibrated microclimate within the home. Wood intersects with metal structures, while semi-transparent materials evenly distribute light, adding visual depth and a sense of openness. Plants cascade from suspended boxes integrated within the structural framework, creating multiple layers of greenery within the space.

Integrating Technology and Nature

These spaces embody an architectural state that merges technology and organic elements, transforming the house from a mere building into a living ecosystem. The architectural experience demonstrates how natural elements such as water and plants can be harmonized with advanced technologies to redefine the human relationship with the home, offering a fully integrated and sustainable living environment.

A long natural swimming pool integrated into the heart of Holocene House with a wooden deck, lounge chairs, and a vertical garden wall under a geometric timber canopy. — The central water feature acts as a natural cooling system, seamlessly connecting the indoor and outdoor living spaces. (Image © CUSP)

Redefining the Relationship Between Architecture and Water

In this architectural concept, the design of the house goes beyond providing a traditional pool; water is regarded as a fundamental element that reorganizes the relationship between living spaces and plants. The pool extends alongside the main living areas, becoming part of the natural flow of the house, giving the space a sense of movement and continuous interaction between different elements.

Design Inspired by Nature

The pool is lined with dark tiles resembling the bed of a natural stream, enhancing the perception of flowing water similar to small rivers or natural wetlands. Water continuously circulates through a filtration system based on aquatic plants, purification ponds, charcoal, and gravel, eliminating the need for chlorine. This approach reflects techniques inspired by natural ecosystems, where water functions as an integrated system for purification and climate control within living spaces.

Integrating Sustainability with Sensory Experience

This approach exemplifies how sustainability can be combined with a fully immersive sensory experience, transforming water from a mere aesthetic element into an active part of the home’s ecological system. This arrangement allows residents to interact with their natural surroundings in an organic and sustainable manner, highlighting the potential of architectural design to enhance the relationship between humans and nature.

Sun-drenched interior lounge area of Holocene House featuring organic-shaped seating, a textured rug, and large glass doors opening to a garden. — Interior spaces prioritize natural light and organic forms to enhance the sensory connection with the surrounding environment. (Image © CUSP)

Close-up of ergonomic outdoor lounge chairs on a timber deck next to a natural pool and a vertical garden structure. — Sustainable materials like recycled timber are used for the decking, ensuring durability and aesthetic harmony. (Image © CUSP)

Multi-Layered Overhead Canopy

The overhead canopy is immersive and intricately designed, with metal structural beams intersecting wooden frames at multiple angles, supporting concrete planters that appear to be suspended at varying heights. The space between these elements is filled with semi-transparent panels, allowing light to pass through in a shifting, ever-changing pattern throughout the day.

Dynamic Light and Spatial Effect

This arrangement produces a dynamic lighting effect that adds depth and vitality to the space, while functional shading reduces surface temperatures, creating a more temperate interior climate. At the same time, this configuration generates a complex spatial perception, making it difficult to distinguish between ceiling, walls, and garden, thereby creating a rich and enigmatic sensory experience reminiscent of multi-dimensional natural spaces.

Wide view of an open-plan living area in Holocene House showing a long wooden kitchen island, a natural pool, and a multi-layered ceiling. — The architectural flow connects the kitchen, dining, and pool areas into a single living ecosystem. (Image © CUSP)

Modern kitchen interior with a solid recycled timber island and built-in wooden shelving illuminated by natural sunlight. — The kitchen island, crafted from reclaimed solid wood, serves as both a preparation area and a social dining table. (Image © CUSP)

Design as a Positive Carbon System

This house exemplifies sustainable architecture, achieving a net energy production greater than its annual consumption. This is accomplished by integrating renewable energy sources, such as solar panels, with water management systems, including rainwater harvesting and greywater recycling. These waters are used to irrigate integrated productive gardens, which include fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and even poultry farming, creating a self-sustaining internal ecosystem that enhances self-sufficiency.

Advanced and Sustainable Exterior Materials

The house’s exterior cladding demonstrates a focus on sustainable, weather-resistant materials. Traditional techniques such as wood charring (Shou Sugi Ban) enhance the wood’s durability against decay while giving it a naturally darkened appearance, allowing the materials to age gracefully in harmony with the coastal climate. This approach illustrates how low-energy materials can combine sustainability and beauty simultaneously.

Interior view looking out towards a tiered stone garden and yellow lounge seating, showcasing the indoor-outdoor transition. — Large sliding glass walls facilitate cross-ventilation and provide uninterrupted views of the productive gardens. (Image © CUSP)

Contemporary home interior with a dramatic wooden staircase, high ceilings, and a long green-stooled kitchen island next to a pool view. — The use of thermal mass in concrete floors and cross-ventilation strategies minimizes the building’s energy footprint. (Image © CUSP)

Multi-Functional Kitchen Island

The kitchen spans a generous space thanks to a long kitchen island made of recycled solid wood, which simultaneously functions as a dining table. This design exemplifies practical use of sustainable materials and creates a connected living experience between preparation and dining areas while maintaining visual continuity throughout the space.

Innovative Storage Units

The cabinets utilize sustainable composite materials made from recycled paper and resin, forming panels with fine perforations that produce rich lighting and textural effects. The storage units extend from floor to ceiling, concealing appliances and ensuring clean, organized sightlines, while adding a functional aesthetic dimension to the interior space.

Focus on the Water Element

A daybed is integrated into the kitchen area with direct views of the pool and backyard garden, reinforcing the connection between indoors and outdoors. The central water feature remains the focal point of all design decisions, with attention always drawn to the movement and tranquility provided by the water, highlighting the importance of integrating nature as an essential part of the daily living experience.

Living room with a plush shag rug, yellow modular sofas, and a wide opening to a stone-paved courtyard and garden. — Flexible and organic interior spaces ensure that the architectural performance does not compromise sensory comfort. (Image © CUSP)

Night view of Holocene House featuring an illuminated natural pool, garden beds, and a complex overhead timber structure. — Strategic night lighting highlights the multi-layered canopy and the reflective quality of the central waterway. (Image © CUSP)

Sustainable Design as a Core Framework

The success of this design lies in its meticulous adherence to sustainable systems. These include natural water filtration, greywater recycling, solar panels, utilization of the thermal mass of concrete, and cross-ventilation through operable walls. These elements are not employed merely for decoration; they form a fundamental infrastructure that enables the house to function as a net-positive energy contributor, rather than merely being less harmful than conventional homes.

Flexibility and Organic Spatial Flow

Despite this technical rigor, the interior spaces remain flexible and organic, giving the design a natural quality that does not feel imposed on the environment. Visitors can discern the logic behind the placement of elements and structures, yet they do not dominate the scene, creating a balance between environmental performance and sensory aesthetics. This approach reflects the capacity of sustainable architecture to integrate technical efficiency with a seamless and comfortable living experience.

Exterior facade of Holocene House with dark charred timber cladding and native Australian coastal vegetation in the foreground. — Native plant species were carefully selected to support local wildlife habitats while requiring minimal maintenance. (Image © CUSP)

Aerial view of Holocene House showing the rooftop solar panels, integrated greenery, and the central pool cutting through the structure. — An aerial perspective reveals the house as a complete ecological system with solar arrays and integrated water management. (Image © CUSP)

Garden Design Between Beauty and Sustainability

The project is located in an area that combines a national park with coastal views, presenting both a challenge and an opportunity. The garden design aims to create green spaces that support the natural habitats of local wildlife, such as bandicoots, while also providing food production for residents.

Integrating Productivity and Aesthetics

Local plants were carefully selected to enhance biodiversity and avoid reliance on imported species that require constant maintenance. In this way, the garden becomes both functional and sustainable, while appearing naturally beautiful and uncontrived, reflecting the design’s ability to harmonize environmental effectiveness with visual appeal simultaneously.

✦ ArchUp Editorial Insight

While the design achieves integration between water, plants, and sustainability, enhancing a connected sensory and environmental experience, certain aspects warrant attention in broader contexts. For instance, heavy reliance on the central waterway and internal ecosystems requires meticulous maintenance and may pose operational challenges over the long term, especially in different climates or as user needs evolve. Similarly, the density of suspended elements and intersecting layers in the overhead canopy, despite their aesthetic and functional impact, could create structural complexities or complicate future spatial modifications.

On the other hand, the focus on sustainable materials and environmental technologies provides a valuable case study for exploring how sustainability can be integrated into residential architecture. It also highlights the delicate balance between environmental performance and practical considerations, such as accessibility, maintenance, and functional flexibility. Architects and researchers can draw insights from this experience to develop more adaptive solutions that combine environmental innovation with everyday usability, minimizing dependence on intensive maintenance while preserving the organic character and sensory experience of the spaces.