Perched on a rise with magnificent 360-degree views, this five-bedroom country home located at Howes Creek in Victoria’s High Country is home to a family with a passion for the environment and sustainability. Equipped with both thermal efficiency and eye catching composition, the homestead features natural timbers and texturally rendered brickwork inside and out. It balances handsome aesthetics with practical measures that respond to the region’s rugged climate.
Architect Kirby Roper said, “To function as a fully sustainable off-the-grid house, my challenge was to create a beautiful home that could adapt to different family configurations in the short and long-term. And I had to design a house that could brave temperature extremes in summer and winter seasons.”
Kirby incorporated passive climate techniques and construction quality, rather than reliance on mechanical resources, as solutions for delivering year-round thermal comfort.
Natural light streams into every room, and strategic views and window seats ingeniously blend the practical with the charming, to express relaxed Australian comfort. Generous verandahs, beloved of so many country homes, are screened so the outdoors can be enjoyed without the bugs.
The owner, a hands-on gardener, has developed a beautiful and productive garden that complements the architecture and takes sustainability to the next level of self-sufficiency.
The test for intergenerational living came during Covid lockdowns, when older sons and their girlfriends came to live and work (zoom) there, while at the same time younger family members were coming to grips with remote learning. The house proved it could flex from accommodating its usual three inhabitants to welcoming seven. Everyone is still talking to each other, and the family declare it was a great success.
From a technical perspective, the climate measures and energy initiatives are performing well. The house felt comfortable during the very hot summer of 2020, and was still comfortable in the very cold winter that followed.
Team:
Architects: Kirby Architects
Photographer: Jacqui Henshaw
