Quenda House

The house was named by the owners after the southern brown bandicoots known as Quendas that are common to the dense vegetation of the wetlands of the southwest, and particularly common in the vicinity of Quenda House. My clients had owned the property for many years and were very familiar with the need for conservation of the Quenda’s and the Critically Endangered Western Ring-Tailed possums that inhabit the area. Together we resolved that by building modular components off-site would not only be economical, but this would minimise the disturbance on the site for the wildlife. 

The house needed to accommodate both adult children and young children in a house that provided a relaxed mood.

Toby Inlet holds significant cultural value for the Wadandi people due to the abundance of resources and the natural protection from weather conditions. The area has been important for hunting and camping for many years both pre- and post-settlement. Aboriginal people are well aware of the decline in health of the inlet and the relationship to drainage changes and land development. A key issue raised by Aboriginal representatives was minimising additional access and infrastructure for recreation, while retaining access for Aboriginal people.

The area around Toby Inlet was an important part of early European colonisation. Quindalup was the primary settlement established in 1866, with a school, supporting local timber export. (source: Toby Inlet Waterway Management Plan 2019).

The site of the house is located between the beach and Toby Inlet, a small estuary that extends parallel to the coastline. The remnant vegetation in the area and on the site of this home provides important habitat and supports ecological functions.

Being located in a Biodiversity hotspot, this acknowledges the exceptional diversity and uniqueness (endemic flora species that are only found in this area) and recognise the level of threat to this biodiversity resulting from significant loss of habitat. 

The region includes a range of fauna such as the Western Ringtail Possum, Quenda (Southern Brown Bandicoot), Brush-tailed Phascogale, Baudin Black Cockatoos, Bearded Dragon and Pygmy Possum to name a few. The highest densities of Western Ring-Tailed possums are found on the coastal strip between Busselton and Dunsborough. Peppermint Trees (Agonis flexuosa) being the predominant tree of the region which provide habitat and make 95% of the possum’s diet.

We researched the habitat and needs of Quendas to ensure that our design for a new house would benefit the local Quenda and Western Ring-Tailed possum population. It is for this reason that the design of the house sought to retain all existing trees and made allowance for the planting of additional Peppermint trees and native undergrowth landscaping.

From ‘Quenda – Our Ecosystem Engineers – Nature Conservation Information Sheet’ by Nature Conversation Org: ‘Under the Western Australian Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, quenda is considered a Priority Four species. This means they are in Rare, Near Threatened and (Department of Justice 2019). Like many small-to-medium sized Australian marsupials, quenda have suffered a drastic population decline post European settlement and it is estimated that their historical range distribution has contracted by 40% (Abbott, 2008). The main reasons for their decline include habitat loss via land clearing for human development, altered fire regimes, predation by introduced feral pest species (red fox Vulpes vulpes, domestic and feral cats Felis catus), and competition for resources with the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) (Burbidge & McKenzie, 1989; Paull, 2008). Despite these negative influences, quenda have remained present even as their habitat has steadily become engulfed by urban development (Howard et al., 2014). Quenda are known to inhabit urban backyards, urban parklands, bush fragments, and conservation reserves, even where no predator control programs occur (Bryant, Kobryn, Hardy, & Fleming, 2017; Howard et al., 2014; Valentine et al., 2013). However, they prefer dense, understory vegetation and are found in both open forest, and dense vegetation near swamps and watercourses (Valentine et al., 2013). Quenda have a solitary behaviour and are known to be active both day and night. They have varied home-range sizes of 0.5 ha up to 5 ha, depending on habitat connectivity and suitability (Paull, 2008). Males, particularly larger individuals, forage over larger areas compared to females and smaller individuals. Territories are probably not actively defended but they are known to engage in vicious fighting when they encounter each other (Howard et al., 2014; Paull, 2008). They construct a dome-shaped nest in well-concealed dense understory vegetation for protection from predation when resting and nesting and may use burrows created by other animals e.g. rabbits for shelter (Haby, Conran, & Carthew, 2013; Paull, 2008). Suggestions to nurture and encourage Quenda's include be aware of potential to reduce collision with vehicles (being their most common cause of death), reduce predators such as domestic cats, make sure that they cannot obtain rat bait, plan your property landscaping with a wide variety of understory vegetation that will provide food and habitat to protect them from predators. 1.

(Source: ‘Quenda – Our Ecosystem Engineers – Nature Conservation Information Sheet’ by Nature Conversation Org).

The beachside house was designed in transportable modular components, constructed from sustainably sourced local timber allowing construction to take place at the fabricators workshop in Rockingham. Constructing the modular components in Rockingham provided convenience to the Perth based owners and design team to visit site during the construction. The modular fabrication also reduced waste and sped up the construction time with the modular components transported to the site for installation.

Internal and external living spaces are orientated to maximise access to the northern sun while the building mass shields outdoor living spaces from the prevailing cold winds.

External materials have been selected to minimise maintenance with the spotted gum timber cladding left to grey naturally over time. Internally, ceilings and walls are finished in a clear finished plywood to bring warmth and for their ability to survive robust treatment.

Living areas are orientated to north to receive the benefit of the winter sun and outdoor areas are protected from the prevailing southerly and westerly cold winds. The timber framed walls and roofs of the house are ‘super’ insulated to ensure that the internal living space temperatures are moderated. Ceiling fans in bedrooms and living spaces are provided and there is no air-conditioning in the house. Importantly the house is planned to retain all existing peppermint trees with the intention that additional peppermint trees will be planted. Quenda's that are common to the dense vegetation of the wetlands of the southwest. Quenda's can be found in the area of Quindalup where the marsupial’s prey on insects, earthworms, plants and fungi. They live in slightly bowl-shaped nests constructed from grass and twigs under dense bush. The Quenda's rely on the undergrowth to burrow and escape from predators. The landscaping design provides for new additional planting of native coastal species to improve the environment for the Quenda's and possums.