Bardon treetop house is equal parts site response, programmatic brief & the clients desire to connect with the rich surrounding landscape. The site, located close to Brisbane city, is positioned at the base of a heavily vegetated gully. Adorned with a mature leopard tree the house has been carefully positioned to nestle into its tremendous canopy. The entry to the house is directly beside the trunk, deep under the canopy, via the lower levels which are cool, moody and low-lit. As you ascend, you rise-up into the sunshine and reach the upper branches of the tree. The arrival point, a bricked garden courtyard, provides an abundance of natural light and air to the flanking rooms and affords an intimate connection back to the upper branches of the majestic tree. Garden spaces offer sanctuary for the family to gather, converse and stare up at the stars at night. Elsewhere, southern facing light scoops drawdown soft natural-light deep into the plan and provide constant reference to the sky and tree-canopy above. The rear-yard & pool, where new gardens are encouraged to grow wild into the gully, culminates the journey through the house framing a backdrop for family life to carry out.