Country Life Magazine (March 22, 2023) – Verdi’s land of opera and glory, Picasso in Spain’s cradle of the Arts, where leading writers find their inspiration, French breeds to provoke English envy and the best in luxury overseas property
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Any property that is surrounded by water is guaranteed to be impressive. It’s sort of an unwritten rule. Naturally, as a former watermill, Gurney Manor Mill falls into this category: the mill and its 1.2 acres of gardens are surrounded by the historicwater system, creating a bucolic setting.
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The Local Project – (March 21, 2023) – Celebrating a 1970s clifftop house and its original design, Stawell House by Architects EAT is a culmination of subtle restorations and additions that bring a modern liveliness to the home’s 50-year-old history.
Video timeline:00:00 – Introduction to the 1970s Clifftop House 00:26 – The Location and The History 00:56 – Clifftop Views 01:14 – A Walkthrough of the Home 01:53 – Experiencing Everything Nature Has to Offer 02:08 – The Materials 03:18 – A Personal Project for the Owners 03:57 – The Landscape 04:18 – A Restoration Project not a Redesign
Located in Studley Park, Melbourne, the 1970s clifftop house showcased original architecture that could not be replicated. However, desiring a respectful and modern update the clients chose to collaborate with Architects EAT, who agreed that retaining Stawell House’s character was important. While also taking on the role of project managers, the owners were able to maintain an intimate and collaborative throughout the entire process of restorations. Overlooking the Yarra River, the 1970s clifftop house asserts itself as part of the landscape blending effortlessly into the topography.
As the house tour begins, Stawell House’s modern renovations unfold like a sincere love letter to its original form. Beginning from the façade, the red brick home references the traditional build, yet once the door opens modern uplifts begin to take centre stage. After a linear skylight leads onto the kitchen and dining space, guests and owners make way to the balcony, which overlooks the west. Additionally, a spare bedroom and bathroom and the master bedroom have been installed on the entrance level to allow the owners ease of movement from private rooms to the public spaces.
Located downstairs, the guest room has been built with an ensuite containing an outdoor bathtub allowing the guest to fully experience the elements. To deal with the effects of a west-facing house, the architects have delivered a range of architectural devices which includes external steel shading. The external materials used for the 1970s clifftop house provide a weather resistance while also maintaining a tree like appearance to fit in with the surrounds. Honouring the original layout of the home, the floorplan remains wide as to allow an ease of movement and living.
Furthermore, timber cladding has been heavily featured on the internal walls and windows. Taken from the original home, the timber has been painstakingly removed, sanded and oiled again before re-use. Managing the entire construction process themselves, the owners work closely with the builders and trades to deliver personal modern updates to the 1970s clifftop house. Showing Architects EAT a range of design inspirations found in magazines, the owners were able to collaborate and create a home that reflects their personalities.
Additionally, the owner has also worked on the landscape, adding a deep personal touch that will grow with the home. Focused more on restoration rather than redesign, Architects EAT have worked closely with the owners and the trades to create a defining home for the modern age.
The Local Project – (March 17, 2023) – Located on the Mornington Peninsula, Somers House is a dream home that enjoys close proximity to the beach and the native coastal landscape. Crafted by Kennedy Nolan, the house presents both sustainability and accessibility as a design priority, embodying the concept of a coastal retreat and playing into the experience of the unique Australian biome.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Coastal Retreat 00:37 – The Importance of Accessibility and Sustainability 01:12 – A Weather Responsive Home 01:34 – A Private and Hidden Retreat 01:59 – Abstract and Composed Facade 02:24 – Easy and Hidden Accessibility 02:58 – Amanda Oliver – Long-Term Collaborator 03:38 – The Details and Materials 04:10 – Proud Moments
Responding to its beachfront location, Somers House provides residents with a sense of protection from the strong, salty winds, creating opportunities for them to comfortably watch changing weather roll in from multiple vistas. The design brief detailed a dream home in which architecture and interior design work in unison to embrace the changing seasons, welcoming in the warm weather and sealing off from the cold.
Externally, Somers House engages the imagination of onlookers whilst revealing little of the true nature of its interiority. A large, shallow arch forms a cave into which cars can be parked and the abstract architecture of the dream home enhances the sense of privacy afforded to its residents. The red ochre colour of the exterior is intended to reference the colours of the earth and both grounds the home and allows it stand out among the colours of the surrounding flora.
A house tour of the dream home instantly reveals the ways in which accessibility has been considered. Wheelchair access is ensured across all three levels and the bathrooms are especially designed in order to establish maximum levels of comfort. Sliding doors allow residents access to the fresh coastal air and draw the sound of the sea into the home. Precise detailing solidifies the status of Somers House as a dream home.
The presentation of each fireplace is refined and sophisticated, reflecting the client’s interest in craftmanship. A sustainable material palette of concrete, steel, timber, stone and brass allows for a multi-faceted tactile experience to take place across the home. Representing the complete realisation of an idea, Somers House forms a compelling response to its beachfront location. An accessible coastal retreat, the dream home is a testament to the ability of Kennedy Nolan to be led by both client and site.
THE CONCRETE TERRACE WRAPS AROUND THE MAIN LIVING PAVILION CREATING A STRONG CONNECTION TO THE EXTERIOR LANDSCAPE AND PROVIDING A WELCOMING CORNER FOR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO GATHER.
Flex House is a vital three-story infill project that mends a decades-old gap in the fabric of Sacramento’s Boulevard Park neighborhood, an important district that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The home, designed for a young family of four, was envisioned as a building that can adapt to the ever-changing circumstances of life and familial composition while also generating income and accommodating future growth.
Argyle Gardens is the first implementation of a modular, low-income single-adult housing model developed by the design team and Transition Projects, an organization dedicated to providing life-changing assistance to Portland’s most vulnerable residents. The first modular housing project permitted by the city, this new community of 72 housing units in the Kenton neighborhood stands as a new co-housing model whose residents share community space and other support systems. It represents a crucial step forward in the effort to design, build, and maintain affordable housing across the nation.
The Local Project (March 14, 2023) – Inspired by jungle living and the whimsical idea of a spaceship crash landing into the landscape, Ground House 107R by David Fewson is a structure unlike any other. Beginning as a joint family effort, the guesthouse is complete with thoughtful design, build, furniture and artwork choices.
Video timeline:00:00 – Introduction to the Concrete Bunker Home 00:43 – The Location 01:16 – Ground House Space Station: A Vision 01:34 – A Collaboration of Friends 01:53 – The Layout 02:24 – Ground House’s Space-Inspired Bedroom 02:47 – Ground House’s Ship Lighting 03:13 – The Gift of Natural Light 03:47 – Materials Used Throughout 03:55 – Ground House Spaceship Control Panel: Kitchen 04:09 – Ground House Crash Aftermath: Landscape 04:59 – The Collaborative and Fun Process
The building is a precisely curated space in which one can find respite from urban living. With its charming jungle living experience, Ground House 107R sits on a section of undulating land surrounded by rainforest and is covered in a myriad of flora that helps it to disappear further into the land. Starting from approach, the home’s calming yet magical ambience is first seen as it emerges over the ridge.
First appearing as a brutalist compound of concrete, the guesthouse is softened by foliage that cascades over the sides of it like a form of art. Organic in its design, the structure features a bedroom, kitchen, living space and bathroom. As the house tour leads around the space, the open plan layout allows for an effortless flow to the outdoors and enforces the feeling of jungle living. In the bathroom, the view through the windowed wall offers a unique view of the home’s material make up.
Additionally, the light that is gifted to the finished structure allows for the guesthouse to breath and emphasises the idea of jungle living. Using only authentic and natural materials, David Fewson and his family have added an element of truth to the interior palette. Using a combination of concrete, real timber and brass, the architect and designers extend their idea of the home forming the shape of a crashed spaceship. Found only a few metres away, the hot tub is settled into the landscape and allows guests to immerse themselves further into jungle living.
At one with the landscape, Ground House 107R’s unique architecture and design elements offer a take on the bygone era and transports it to the contemporary age in which David Fewson hopes guest will find alluring. Located in northern New South Wales, the guesthouse is shrouded in a layer of secrecy that only deepens the charm and characteristics of the site. With its jungle living ideals and employed naturally made materials, Ground House 107R is a place in which serenity can be found in every detail.
The Local Project (March 10, 2023) – Perched over Sydney harbour, the architects and designers of Family Heritage, Luigi Rosselli Architects and Alwill Interiors, inject a renewed modern character into the residence.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Elegant Family Home 00:40 – The Award-Winning Architects 01:00 – Behind the Name ‘Family Heritage’ 01:30 – The Clients Brief 02:03 – A Walkthrough of the Family Home 04:59 – The Award-Winning Interior Designers 05:17 – Fresh and Modern Interiors 05:50 – The Materials Used Throughout 06:20 – Favourite Aspects 07:00 – Difficult Aspects 08:07 – Working with Heritage Listed Homes
Originally built at the turn of the century, the renovated home rejects the idea of historical structures being restricted, dark or difficult for modern families. Defeating these misconceptions, the architects and designers have used soft curves, calming colours and material palettes, and welcome a wealth of natural light inside. From the front veranda, guests enter into the front atrium, which has been turned from a dark entrance into light-filled foyer.
Featuring a newly opened staircase, the interior architecture of the atrium tells a story of gentle curves to soften the arrival, before passing into the arched hallway. As the hallway leads to the family room and study, the choice has been made to keep it dark with hues of blue, navy and greys for concentration, study, reading and reflection. Leading from this is the arrival to the main living space, a light-drenched space with wide doors that open to the garden to expand the living space outdoors for entertainment and family use.
Additionally, on the opposite end of the main living space is the fireplace, which has been designed uncentered to allow for the addition of artwork. Moving upwards, the curved staircase leads to a viewing room in which the skyline of Sydney can be viewed. The first-floor landing then also holds the original doors of the home, which the architects and designers have reused for the linen cupboards. The house tour next leads to the private living spaces, including the children’s rooms, guest room and main bedroom.
The main bedroom offers a vastness that is similar to that of a hotel room, with a precise arrangement and thoughtful detailing. Additionally, the room is fitted with a large window looking over the backyard and dancing shutters that open and shut in synchrony. Showing the character of each child, the architects and designers have allowed the children’s bedrooms to share the front veranda to provide them with additional connections to the front gardens. Evident through their long-standing work relationship, the collaboration between the architects and designers makes it seem as if the home has been designed by one set of hands.
Using a calm, white base, the home builds character with tobacco, pink and blue tones through each living space. Accommodating for a busy family, the architects and designers carefully asses the function of spaces and imbue rooms with durable materials to handle daily wear and tear. Evoking different emotions throughout the home, the interior material choices have purposely been selected by the architects and designers to showcase the home’s unique character and charm.
Sotheby’s International Realty (March 10, 2023) – ‘The Snyder House’ is something of a legend in the long history of Shelter Island. Built in 1952 and designed by architect Bertrand Goldberg for John Snyder, the CEO of the Pressed Steel Car Company, 2 Charlie’s Lane was recognized as a mid-century marvel, both in design and waterfront location, offering magnificent panoramic water views of West Neck Harbor and Long Island Sound (Source: Official Bertrand Goldberg website).
Considered a ‘must see,’ onlookers would come from the Island and beyond, many transported by amphibious airplanes from New York City to experience the so-called ‘demonstration house.’ In 2002, the current owners undertook rebuilding the home on its original sprawling footprint, maintaining the elements of its mid-century modernist design while sparing no expense to bring this 20th-century masterpiece up to 21st-century living standards of ultimate comfort and high-end quality.
Sotheby’s International Realty (March 9, 2023) – Haiku is a small village in the northern part of Maui, approximately 14 miles (22.5 km) east of Kahului. Though Haiku is located about 2 miles (3.2 km) inland, a few beaches are nearby, including popular Ho’okipa Beach, also known as the windsurfing capital of the world.
Haiku was once a thriving pineapple plantation with two canneries. However, the town experienced a decline in commercial activity when the main refinery transferred to Kahului. After a few years, people started returning and inhabit the place. Only then the commercial life in Haiku resumed. Today, this rustic community has eateries, shops and cafés.
Visit Melbourne (March 9, 2023) – Step outside the city and spend a night or two with Stella the Stargazer, Victoria’s newest limited-edition off-grid accommodation experience.
Stella is a uniquely Victorian tiny home, paying homage to the Aussie shed, crafted with repurposed timber and steel salvaged from a historical farming shed.
Stella is fitted with everything a hotel guest needs, and nothing they don’t. She’s all about quality over quantity, exuding authenticity and craftsmanship not before seen in a tiny home. With a focus on low environmental impact, the materials provide an aesthetic which is sustainable and distinctively Victorian.
Guests will truly be able to get back to nature and embrace the elements during their stay – enjoying a bespoke roll-out sleeping platform for stargazing.
Open Space (March 5, 2023) – Ralph Haver AIA was an American Architect who was highly accredited to bringing Modernism to Arizona. Malcolm and Lea weren’t necessarily looking for a modernist home when they stumbled upon their current Ralph Haver home.
Always intrigued with design and making a space into their own, they saw the potential through their designer Joel Contreras who at the time was one of the few people redesigning historic homes in Arizona. Ralph Haver was known for his use of affordable and practical building materials, such as concrete block and plywood, which allowed him to create affordable postwar homes. Malcolm and Lea are a part of a small tract of Ralph Haver homes with only 30 homes in their neighborhood.
Throughout the past several years, they have seen a new generation of buyers coming into the neighborhood and lovingly caring/restoring/ remodeling the homes. Ralph Haver homes are reminiscent of the Cliff May homes in Southern California, similar construction, design elements and die hard homeowners that are uplifting the legacy of these architects.
News, Views and Reviews For The Intellectually Curious
Sotheby’s International Realty (March 10, 2023) – ‘The Snyder House’ is something of a legend in the long history of Shelter Island. Built in 1952 and designed by architect Bertrand Goldberg for John Snyder, the CEO of the Pressed Steel Car Company, 2 Charlie’s Lane was recognized as a mid-century marvel, both in design and waterfront location, offering magnificent panoramic water views of West Neck Harbor and Long Island Sound (Source: Official Bertrand Goldberg website). 
Boomers Daily 