Somers Courtyard House is designed by Rowan Opat Architects, as a dark object which perfectly fits the shadows of surrounding bush land, one hour from Melbourne. Even though the house exterior is made of dark timber the interior and the courtyard in contrast have lighter color. Ceilings of the house are made of cedar board while floors and desks of radial sawed timber. The use of materials adds to the sustainable qualities of the residence, which was designed to be highly energy efficient. It functions independently of mains water, gas, sewerage and electricity. Catchment of heat and controlling seasonal direct natural light were refined to optimise the passive solar effectiveness. The house has shape of the square with courtyard inside. Thanks to than all indoor spaces are connected to outdoor ones very well. [Rowan Opat Architects]