MPARNTWE house tour
Photo by Kilian O’Sullivan
On the western edge of Mparntwe (Alice Springs), overlooking the molten red hills of Tjoritja (West MacDonnell Ranges) sits a house designed to work with the extreme climate of the central desert. The Desert House by DunnHillam Architects was built in 2015 as a commitment from the clients to Mparntwe. An investment in place through design.
DUNNHILLAM DESERT HOUSE
The local climate is one of extremes, with mean maximum temperatures in January reaching 36.5°C and mean minimums in July falling to 4.0°C. The project is a dedication to a place where permanence and high quality housing is rare.
The architectural solution is based on the ancient courtyard house, a “U” shaped plan shelter and cool the central courtyard. The building then uses a dual-system of thermal control, described by the architects as a "big hat over an esky", a well insulated inner core of structurally insulated panels (SIPs) is shielded by a large, angled fly-roof, separated from the main roof by an air gap. This configuration blocks direct solar radiation and uses the stack effect to pull cooler air from the shaded courtyard over the building. The house's design further leverages the stable temperature of the earth by being recessed into a rock cutting, using the thermal mass of the earth to regulate the internal temperature.
The internal spaces are white, spartan and covered in art. The colours and shapes of central Australian artists give vivacity to the gallery-esque walls…that and the ever dominant landscape.
EVENT INFO
MPARNTWE (Alice Springs)
DATES September 11-13 2025
LOCATION Mparntwe (Alice Springs) & Tjoritja (West MacDonnell National park)
CPD 10 formal points available across the event
Photo by Kilian O’Sullivan
Photo by Kilian O’Sullivan, Artwork (L-R): spears by unknown (Warlukurlangu Artists); perentie by unknown (Talapi), 2013; tree by Janet Inyika (Talapi); waterbird by Kevin Dixon (Greenbush Artists), 2013.
Photo by Kilian O’Sullivan
