The dwelling is located in the middle of thick bushland, on the outskirts of the Grampians National Park. A family holiday house which had been within the client’s family for over 50 years was burned down in the 2014 bushfires, and we were commissioned to design a new home that would provide the family’s future generations a continued place of retreat and social gatherings.
The project presented a few complexities, most notable the ‘fire zone’ bushfire rating, which requires all external finishes to be non combustible, and all windows to be screened. With this in mind, we designed and developed our own fold away mesh fire screens that slide into a cavity when the house was in use, and the stunning mountain views to the north and west were on offer. The generous glazing and living spaces were consciously set out on site to take in these views.
Whilst inherently a modern design, the weathered steel cladding and internal timber features deliberately tries to tie in with the local Grampians landscape, and gives the building the opportunity to visibly evolve with time, just as the owners and their families will.
