The clients were local farmers and wanted a house for their retirement that was immersed in the landscape they had lived and worked in. A site was chosen on a low knoll with panoramic views, accessed by a drive winding between gum trees. Rammed earth was chosen from the outset as the main building material, its thermal mass perfect for this climate of hot and cold extremes, its rich earthen tones providing the aesthetic outside and in. You enter the house from a shaded courtyard on the south through a breezeway into the open plan living area and flowing out to a vine-covered terrace on the north. To one side is the master bedroom and study, to the other the spare bedrooms and service areas, the rooms stepping back with corner windows to capture the view. A verandah at the western end provides covered access from the garage and shelters the wall from harsh summer heat.