The Trunk House

The Trunk House is a small cabin in Victoria’s Central Highlands in Australia.  The design by Australian firm Paul Morgan Architects sought to achieve an almost transparent relationship with the surrounding forest of Stringybark trees.  It drew inspiration from the bifurcated joints of trees that are typically discarded during commercial tree logging, yet are inherently very sturdy and stable natural joints.

An internal column with radiating beams is the heart of the home, like a central trunk from which the branches of the cabin are supported.  The native Stringybark trees were removed from the site, milled and cured on site, and then integrated into the structure of the home.