Location: Mt. Elephant Station, Derinallum
Client: Private
Scope: Pool, Pool Fence & Structures
Architect: Wayne Gillespie
Completed: 2009

At this Western District Garden, the major focus was on continuity of proportion and form. Our brief was to remove the old pool and locate a new swimming pool suitable for laps. The client expressed an interest in using timber for the pool fence and was open to the suggestion of a structure by the pool.

The established garden had already been influenced by Sam’s mentor, Murray Collins. The existing mature hedges and Elms provided the backbone for the garden renovation, and the changes had to blend seamlessly into the existing garden.

With the simple structure at the north end of the pool, Barber has created a direct relationship with the architecture of the existing Wayne Gillespie house by replicating the proportions of the columns and the height of the horizontal beams. The timber fence is constructed of solid iron bark timber posts, cantilevering out of the ground creating a comb-like appearance and providing a solid yet minimal barrier.

The timber fence was the first of its kind and has been extensively copied since it was published in Vogue Living. It is constructed of solid iron bark timber posts, cantilevering out of the ground creating a comb-like appearance and providing a solid yet minimal barrier. With all engineering, steel and concrete fixing below the ground, the result is a dividing line like no other.

Photography: Scott Newett