Year
2022

State
Victoria

Photographer
Derek Swalwell

Builder
BLR Provincial Construction

Located in Bendigo on what was a relatively flat vacant block, Homebush House is a single storey home for a young family of five.

This type of floor plan is a direct response the local weather conditions which can at times be extreme. Arranged around a series of courtyards, the design is intended to provide a landscape outlook from every part of the house with seasonal living and a sense of privacy in mind.

For the same reasons, the selection of enduring robust external materials was a key consideration for the design. Blackbutt hardwood cladding is allowed to silver off – allowing both building and landscape to merge into one another over time.

Deep reveals protect northern glazing from the hot summer sun and a burnished concrete slab acts thermal mass, storing heat during the day to be released during cold nights.

Entry to the house is via a courtyard with suspended cables allowing for a deciduous landscape canopy to climb and propagate over time.

Designed by Fiona Brockhoff and with no front fence, the landscape is woven in and around the building perimeter with moundings to allow for visual separation from the street and neighbouring properties.