The first time I saw this vacant land I was in a panic anticipating the clients expectation to design not only the house, but the position of the road, the stables, sheds, house, pool, horse arena, paddocks and landscape. The next wave of anticipation I experienced was the excitement of the prospect of the whole project and the clients trust in creating a complete design of their property.

The deciding factor for the position of the house was to consider the views, the northern sun and the position of the lake. The road to the house was an important design element in how the house was approached. We changed the position of the access road from the street and then proceeded to create a road, which flowed directly up to the house, whilst providing a vista of the property, the arena and the lake.

The clients requested a two storey house design to capture the distant views and to take advantage the sunsets from the top story balcony.

The concept was designed around views toward the country and to overlook the horse arena, where the daughter of our clients would spend most of her time. The house is ‘U’ shaped in design, with the pool being central to the house. The house was designed in this ‘U’ shape to minimise the south easterly winds and to create a protected space for all to enjoy.

The house design has ‘wings’ containing the formal living, the informal living and the quiet bedroom areas. This separation allows different uses throughout the house without causing any disturbance. The wings have also been designed to capture the northern sun. Tiles have been used as flooring in the informal areas to generate a heat bank. The upstairs contains two bedrooms with separate ensuites, a central living area and a balcony looking over the views.

The built form that appears now so simple was hard to create. We believe this home will continue to develop and adapt to its surroundings.