Turnpoint

Turnpoint is a house and studio designed in 1961-2 by Rodney Gordon for his own use. The building features a light steel frame constructed from 6" by 3" channel section, clad with diagonal timber boarding panels. Large, floor-to-ceiling vertical pivoted windows serve as both windows and doors. The roof is aluminium. The site was partially excavated to create parking underneath the house, with the excavated earth used to form a mound that meets the terrace on the west side. The house is raised on stilts approximately four feet above the ground.

The interior is open plan, with a living room accessible by steps on two sides. A sliding partition separates the living room from the dining room, and an open staircase leads to a studio in the roof. The layout also includes a kitchen and two bedrooms, one with an en suite bathroom and the other with a separate bathroom. All windows are double-glazed, incorporating a blind between the glass panes that can be operated externally. All ground floor windows are identical in size, except for the bathroom window, which has been modified for increased privacy. The studio features triangular windows, with a central window on the western elevation providing access to a projecting timber and steel balcony. Extended timber eaves carry water from the roof, which was originally discharged via chains to soakaways, though these chains were missing during the time of the survey. The living room retains its original finishes, including built-in speakers.

Turnpoint represents a period of renewed interest in wood as a building material, employing a rare but well-considered and imaginative combination of steel and timber in a largely prefabricated design.