Natural connections

Designed by Zen Architects

From the architects:

This is a modern, sustainable home that reinterprets the character of its historically significant suburb and harmonises with its landscaped surroundings. 

Marion Mahoney and Walter Burley Griffin (the American architect renowned for designing Canberra, Australia's capital) planned and designed the picturesque Mount Eagle Estate in Eaglemont, Melbourne in 1915, with winding roads and community parklands that followed the curving topography, and dwellings that were secondary to the natural landscape. 

Proponents of modern architecture, the Griffins designed houses free from stylistic precedent. 

Consequently, the guidelines for Mount Eagle Estate recommend architects take the same approach today, while complying with the heritage, landscape and vegetation protection overlays. 

This home's owners love art and travelling and have a great appreciation for design. 

They have four adult children and recently became grandparents, and wanted a house where their family could comfortably visit and stay. 

Their brief to Zen Architects also came with comprehensive requirements for sustainability and spatial planning, which we achieved through orientation, layout and palette. 

Replacing an existing building, the house now sits higher on the hill of the large sloping block and is oriented toward the expansive north-facing garden to the rear. 

The footprint has been reduced by almost 100m², yet the house vastly improves the comfort, liveability and energy efficiency for the owners. 

The single-storey home is accessible and mobility-friendly, designed for aging in place. 

The planning separates private, public and guest spaces, allowing the house to expand and contract with visiting family members. 

Each area is differentiated by materiality, volume, light and view, and interwoven with outdoor and landscaped areas. 

The private spaces to the east (bedroom, ensuite, library and sitting room) are intimate and textural. 

The spacious public area through the middle (kitchen, dining and lounge) is light, relaxed and connected. 

Guest bedrooms and a yoga room in a self-contained wing to the west are more modest. 

The robust and tactile material palette harmonises the building with its garden surroundings, helping to weave the landscape inside and out, and connecting the house to the site. 

The natural, recycled and sustainable materials are almost entirely sourced from within Victoria, and they will age gracefully, minimising maintenance and contributing to healthy interiors. 

The recycled brick and course natural render on the exterior are in keeping with the houses in the area, sitting comfortably with the local heritage yet offering a contemporary, timeless aesthetic.

Castlemaine slate pavers continue from outside into the public spaces. 

Similarly, Victorian Ash timber beams of the pergola continue inside as exposed beams above the entry, library, kitchen and sitting room. 

The vertical timber-framed windows and rendered interior wall also help evoke an intimate, enclosed feel in the sitting room, creating a contrast to the spacious living area. 

Vertical timber in other parts of the house continues that theme and adds another level of privacy. 

Windows are carefully placed for passive solar design and to optimise connection, view, light and ventilation. 

Protruding and hooded north-facing windows maximise sun penetration in winter, while excluding summer sun, and recessed south-facing windows provide privacy from the street. 

The landscape was integral to the architectural design, and the significant landscape overlay required a mixed native approach. 

Layered plants offer a variety of colour, foliage type and flowering times, and will grow in, around and over the building over time. 

Taking its cues from the heritage and landscape of Mount Eagle Estate, this is a versatile, modern and sustainable home that is rich in texture and character to harmonise with its leafy, historical setting.

Story by: Trendsideas