December 26th
Inside a home in nature built from earth, stone and timber, architecture gently integrates with the surrounding landscape to create a tranquil and grounded retreat in Currumbin Valley. Realised by HGA Studio with interior curation by Ellison Studios, Finca Talluca responds to its environment with a cruciform plan that steps gently down toward the creek – a defining natural presence along the site’s edge. From here, the layout unfolds through carefully calibrated transitions, balancing rigour with release to encourage a deep connection between inside and out.
This sense of connection is reinforced by a palette grounded in tactility. The home’s defining feature – rammed-earth spine walls – offers both a structural and conceptual anchor, layered like sediment in reference to the adjacent creek. These walls increase in density as they move from creek to street, forming a natural privacy gradient and a subtle metaphor for retreat. Inside a home in nature built with such materials, the interplay between shelter and openness is felt in every corner.
The materiality of the project continues with limewash cement render, hardwood timbers and natural stone – choices that deliver warmth, texture and longevity. A palette influenced by the tonal richness of the 1970s finds its expression in tactile finishes and a lived-in feel that evokes comfort over perfection. The home invites touch and ease, offering a grounding presence in a world of constant motion.
Key to the spatial experience is the dynamic roof structure in the main living space. The roof folds open dramatically, drawing northern light deep into the interior and animating textured surfaces with dappled brightness. It’s a moment where the raw meets the refined, where the precision of steel counters the organic textures below. This duality – between rough and polished, grounded and light – defines Finca Talluca’s unique identity.
Inside a home in nature built to honour context and climate, every decision feels intentional. From sunken lounges that mirror the creek’s slow flow, to daybeds that peel away from the plan in angular expressions, the home is attuned to both its site and its inhabitants. Here, architecture does not impose but instead listens – echoing the atmosphere of the land it inhabits.
Inside a home in nature built through collaboration, the outcome reflects more than a singular vision. The many hands have shaped a residence that embraces light, shadow, stillness and change – a deeply personal response to a profoundly beautiful place.
Inside a home in nature built not just for shelter but for sensory connection, Finca Talluca stands as a quiet celebration of design that feels. Informed by site, enriched by texture and expressed with care, it becomes more than a house – it becomes a way of being present.
00:00 – Introduction to a Home in Nature Built from Earth, Stone and Timber
00:53 – The Cruciform Plan
01:54 – Materiality and Atmosphere
03:19 – Craft and Contrast
03:55 – Favourite Moments
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Photography by Anson Smart.
Architecture by HGA Studio.
Interior curation and furniture by Ellison Studios.
Build by Mactech Constructions.
Styling and creative direction by Joseph Gardner.
Filmed by TALE Studio.
Edited by HN Media.
Production by The Local Production.
Location: Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
The Local Project acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land in Australia. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our country and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.
#Nature #Built #TheLocalProject
