Ocean House

This house is the story of land, its unique positioning between coast and forest, and the climatic conditions, informing the built outcomes. Ocean House was built by Rob Mills for himself, his family and friends as a place to gather by the beach in Victoria’s Lorne, and illustrates clearly how he practices what he preaches. The house, built on a prohibitively steep site combines the solidity of a cylindrical concrete form with the lightness and transparency of a glass and timber linear space. “The two personalities of the house work together as one. The concrete section, which houses the bedrooms is very purposeful, sheltering the house from the storms and deadening sound, in contrast to the connections with nature in the living section", he says. Keenly tuned into the sensory aspects of the site he is aware that the sound of the ocean and the parallel connection to the forest is central to the sense of calm in the house. ‘I really value a quiet space, a cool space, a warm space, the importance of fresh air cannot be underestimated – you need to be able to throw open doors and have cross ventilation", says Mills. His natural default position on interiors is organic and tactile in neutral, tactile fabrics, stucco that feels like velvet and is coloured to match the bark of the trees in the rainforest, limed black butt ceilings and quality furnishings by the world’s best designers: internationally from Piero Lissoni and Patricia Urquoila and locally from Lowe Furniture.