Seed House

New Build Built on a greenfield site, within an established north Melbourne suburb, on the remains of a family home that burnt down. Taking inspiration from local endangered grasses and their cycle of rebirth, which is so influenced by fire, this house makes a bold statement. ----- The Golden Sun Moth, native to the local Craigieburn grasslands is a critically endangered species dependent on the Wallaby Grass seed. Seasons and fire bind this pair of organisms into a cycle to be celebrated as uniquely Australian, uniquely Craigieburn. The forms and materials of these designs are inspired by this context. The original house had burnt down the year before the client bought the property. The tragedy of the previous owners losing their home of 30 years and the thought that this then opened up an opportunity for a first home-owner to make a start in an already very established area inspired thoughts of regeneration by fire. Taking inspiration from local endangered grasses and their cycle of rebirth and the destruction of the previous home by fire, this house makes a bold statement. Reclaimed and upcycled timber featuring heavily throughout, lending a beautiful warmth and texture to this striking contemporary home. Natural materials, which age well, are articulated with minimalist black metal detailing. The architectural forms are bold and sculptural with carefully considered proportions and openings. The roof forms are simple and expressed, reflecting popular modern tastes with visually integrated balconies and garages. Soft curves hark back to the romanticised Art-deco era buildings of metropolitan Melbourne as well as the elliptical arcs found in nature. The clean lines of the interior - accented by the repeating slim black linear details - bring a fresh and contemporary living area with extensive views over the surrounding bushlands.