Wetland House / Wolveridge Architects

+ 16

Text description provided by the architects. The brief was to build a new rural home for an experienced client to replace a dilapidated farmhouse on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Key to the design response was a series of sustainability initiatives, including replacing an existing non-permeable tennis court with wetlands. The sustainability initiatives were integrated into the brief and were equally driven by the client. In addition to passive solar design principles and radial air source heat pump heating, insulated zones with sliding doors minimise operating energy.

Natural, robust materials, such as granite stone from the local Hillview quarry, were reclaimed to form the exterior wall of the staircase and fireplace. Inside, quality Australian hardwood wall surfaces minimise the use of plasterboard in the home. The artist and craftsman client couple were keen to source natural, robust materials, such as granite stone reclaimed from the local Hillview quarry. Balancing the dry-stacked stone, clapboard hardwood cladding echoes the tradition of farmhouse construction.

The house is generously distributed in space. However, it was created with the empty nest in mind so that it could be inhabited by a couple on one level without feeling cavernous. Zoning the floor plan around an east-facing courtyard created a generous range of private family spaces and less private entertaining areas, each with unique connections to the garden. The kitchen was set up separately as a comfortable family space for meals and daily gatherings.

The house is set on a generous plot in an area characterised by large setbacks, established landscaping and tree lined streets. The creation of a large storage basement with a single passageway and the provision of landscaped cut-outs to the main living area across the site respond to the established character. These notions are further reinforced by the first floor form incorporating a minimal floor area to reduce any suggestion of volume.

The clients had lived in the existing house for many years and were therefore able to bring to light their local experiences and knowledge, particularly in terms of seasonal weather patterns and views. The project quickly became about harnessing our client’s knowledge of the site and fostering a shared interest in creating timeless architecture that strives to minimise its impact on the environment.