A working farm, open to the world.
Tasmania’s Coal River Valley sits just 20 minutes from Hobart, in some of the island’s richest agricultural country. The soil and the cool climate are well known for producing fine wines, but they lend themselves to far more than that. Coal River Farm brings artisan chocolate, cheese and seasonal produce together under one roof - a place where visitors can watch, taste and understand what the region is capable of.
Where the making is part of the experience.
Our design is a modern interpretation of a rural farm complex. A chocolatier, cheese production facility, restaurant and providore are housed within a series of connected timber-clad forms that open up to the surrounding valley. The building invites people in, lets them see the process, and gives them a reason to stay. As a working farm, nothing is hidden. Visitors can pick their own fruit, watch chocolate being tempered, or observe the cheesemaking from within the building itself. The architecture supports the experience rather than separating people from it.
The material palette draws from the surrounding landscape - timber cladding, metal roofing and full-height windows that frame long views over the Coal River. The forms are simple and agricultural in character, sitting comfortably alongside the working elements of the farm without competing with the setting. It is a building that belongs where it is.
