Joe Chindarsi Winter Cottage Bridgetown

Bridgetown equals Hometown for Robert; yep, born on a farm and still combing the hay out of his hair.

The place has been a magnet for tree-changers since forever and the standard of sustainable architecture has come along a bit since the seventies let me tell you.

Perth based architect Joe Chindarsi and his Grandfather Henry Schapper bought a patch there a while back and set about scheming the distillation of Henry’s rambling Karrinyup digs to a hillside on the south-west of town.

The dramatic cantilever design attracted less than favourable reviews from many locals during construction however since completion there has been a steady stream of curious visitors wandering in from the road to admire it an learn more about the designer and occupant.

The significant features are the original jarrah window frames from the Karrinyup home which have been retrofitted with double glazing, the southern thermal sink stone wall and grid connected photovoltaic power generation.

The house has been a hit with publishers, appearing in 7 magazines (including Canadian décor mag Azure) and one book to our knowledge.

It won the RAIA WA chapter award for Ecological Sustainable Development in 2006.