South Australia–based architect Max Pritchard knew he had a challenge on his hands as soon as his clients contacted him. Chris Anderson, an agricultural scientist, and Claire Davenport, who works part time in the wine industry, wished to have a house built on their 10-acre wooded site an hour’s drive south of Adelaide. They had a small budget and a big dream. “The owners didn’t want a large house, but they had a definite idea for its location,” says Pritchard, referring to the sloping bank overlooking a creek and waterhole. “I saw problems, in that I felt a structure would spoil the unique beauty of the site and it also would be difficult to achieve desirable solar orientation.” Pritchard had no desire to kill the couple’s dream, and so embarked on a plan to help them achieve it without damaging the site. After much research, including a survey to determine the 100-year flood level, Pritchard came up with a unique possibility. “By designing the house as a bridge across the creek,” he says, “impact on the site is minimized.” The east/west axis is ideal for admitting low winter sun, the architect points out, adding that the effects of high summer sun can be reduced and “an exhilarating experience of living among the treetops can be achieved.”