Built to Belong: The Art of Designing in Harmony with Nature

Mater Prize Home Ambassador, Peter Colquhoun, believes the best homes don’t compete with the landscape, but belong to it. And perched high on the Tamborine Mountain ridgeline, the latest Mater Prize Home exemplifies that exact philosophy.

For the acclaimed architecture expert, creating a home in harmony with nature begins long before walls are raised or materials are selected. It starts with understanding the land itself.

“You have to balance light versus view,” Peter explains. “A good design will respond to its site by firstly identifying where the sun is coming from. Then you have to respond to any undulations or slopes.”

It’s an approach that defines every inch of this breathtaking mountain retreat. Rather than imposing itself on the landscape, the home unfolds gently within it, a carefully considered response to the ridgeline, native vegetation, and expansive western outlook.

The design experience begins before you even reach the front door.

Peter says: “It’s not only the build on this one but the curation of the Australian bush landscape. The whole design experience starts when the gate opens.”

“You meander down through the eucalypts and banksias to get a slow reveal of this subtly designed home,” Peter says. “It’s a grand home, but within this powerful landscape. It sits in quite sympathetic response to it.”

The sense of arrival is deliberate. Positioned along the ridgeline, the home expands horizontally, embracing the extraordinary western-facing vistas.

“It doesn’t try to dominate the landscape,” Peter reflects. “It has a bit of a handshake with it.”

Designing for such a dramatic environment also means respecting nature’s unpredictability. Elevated homes may capture spectacular views, but they must also withstand the elements.

“When you’re on top of a mountain you have a great opportunity to take advantage of the views, but you’re open to anything Mother Nature can throw at you,” Peter says. “This house responds to that with solid concrete floors. It’s steel. It’s a substantial piece of architecture on a very powerful site.”

Yet despite its strength, the home also offers warmth, intimacy, and respite. Peter imagines it as much a winter sanctuary as a summer escape.

“Although Queensland is known for its tropical, temperate climate, I think this would be a great winter house as well, with its fireplaces and deep overhanging eaves,” he says.

“There’s a lot of places you could snuggle up and find refuge in this incredible mountain retreat,” Peter says. “Although the terrace and main living area is the obvious space, some of the smaller and quieter rooms have their own special quality.”

Ultimately, Peter believes homes like this remind us why humans are instinctively drawn to nature.

“It grounds us,” he says. “It’s so important to reset in places like this.”

And while the home itself is extraordinary, Peter says the purpose behind Mater Prize Home makes it even more meaningful.

“The whole inspiration behind getting involved is not only to transform your life by perhaps winning a Mater Prize Home—it’s also a call to arms to help fund vital medical research,” he says. “The Mater Prize Home cause isn’t just changing lives, it’s saving lives.”

Don’t miss your chance to win this $5.7M prize package and Live the Dream in lush Tamborine Mountain. Get your $2 tickets today.  

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