Applecross

“Family” was the first word written on the page when the client provided us with their design brief. The challenge was to design a house that was architecturally inspiring but also needed to feel like a home for them – not just a house. The clients are such beautiful people and they are such a lovely family that we all put our heart and soul into ensuring the end result was the absolute best it could be.

The design brief was extensive and continually evolving. The design development process never stopped and we strived to explore every facet of the home to see if it could be improved.

The design was to be modern but also needed to stand the test of time. Both the client and we the designers were largely influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Falling Water” and the layered, floating horizontal lines of the house can be seen cascading down towards the river front – following the natural topography of the block.

The block has a 4.5m fall from rear to front and this was respected by creating a multi-level design. The split levels assist in defining different living zones of the house (both inside & outside) and increasing ceiling height’s where it counted.

The pool needed to be integrated into the design and plays a significant role in the aesthetics, but also forms an essential part of the retaining that was required. It is an impressive feature from both the street aspect and from the Living/outdoor areas of the house with an impressive curved wall infinity edge.

We created an open void through the middle of the balcony enabling a visual connection between the upstairs and downstairs outdoor living areas. This concept flows through internally to the double volume void through the middle of the home and in addition, we designed a raised clerestory to enable natural light and fresh air to permeate through the home. The windows allow cross breeze ventilation and natural cooling of the house. The cool air blowing off the river will enter the home through louvres on the ground floor and push the hot air up to escape through the clerestory windows.

The internal space feel’s cohesive with the external environment through the subtle use of natural materials to compliment the architecture and bring life to the home. The use of natural Andorra stone flooring to the indoor and outdoor living areas creates a seamless connection between the two spaces. Materiality and a shared sense of warmth connect the zones within the home, bringing in natural elements such as American Black Walnut, Gioia marble and the textured tones of split face Granite as a modern offering to the references in architecture from Frank Lloyd Wright.