Upon first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking this property was a living creature; the magnificent structure appears skeletal with 26 cast-concrete pieces fanning out in resemblance of vertebrae. An art piece in and of itself, it is no wonder this unique space is considered one of Kellogg’s greatest masterpieces.
Director: Meg Sutton Director of Photography: AJ Young Editor: Daniel Finn Guest: John Vugrin
The gardens are marked by a combination of formality and informality. Clipped yew hedges and topiary contrast with abundant naturalistic planting. Vistas lead through rectangular areas with straight paths and borders, a pond, and then a croquet lawn, to fields and woods beyond. Less formal areas have winding pathways and there are also wildflower meadows and fruit trees. The rendered brick summer house has fine views from all sides. Next to the house is a recently rebuilt timber framed barn for use as a garage and workshop. There is ample parking on the gravel drive.
Winchester is a city in the county of Hampshire, on the edge of England’s South Downs National Park. It’s known for medieval Winchester Cathedral, with its 17th-century Morley Library, the Winchester Bible and a Norman crypt. Nearby are the ruins of Wolvesey Castle and the Winchester City Mill, a working 18th-century corn mill. The Great Hall of Winchester Castle houses the medieval round table linked to King Arthur.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Ultimate Farm House 00:37 – The Original Idea 00:57 – The Second Primary Strategy 01:03 – Revegetation of Indigenous Planting 01:36 – A Walkthrough of the Farm House 02:51 – The Two Living Zones 03:24 – The Integration of Primal Activities 04:00 – Illumination Throughout the Home 04:17 – The Materials Used 04:55 – Neutral Palettes and Other Aspects 06:13 – The Intimate Requirements of a Home
Throughout the reformation of the old farm, the architect has worked with a deep sensibility to rehabilitate the home, as well as the land on which it sits, by both re-using materials and employing new environmentally kind ones. When tasked with Bass Coast Farmhouse, Wardle began the process of rejuvenating the home by reducing its plan down to three simple elements – a steel roof, timber walls and a single chimney.
This idea naturally flowed into the the ide of designing the home to not only sit upon the land but to interact with it. Upon arrival, Bass Coast Farmhouse appears almost cartoon-like with its rectangular form and minimal materials. Surrounding the home is a rolling garden. Designed by Jo Henry Landscape Design, each plant has been finished with plastic containers that will nurture the growth of the indigenous plantings until they reach maturity. Furthermore, the home’s form has been designed to sway with the typography of the land.
Previously cleared as farmland, the entire 300 acres have also been reworked to encourage and inspire the growth of vegetation around the home and across the entire site. The single front door opens to welcome the owners and guests inside the ultimate farm house, where Wardle has placed a mud, boot and cloak room at the entrance of the home.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction 00:43 – A Boutique Residence 01:07 – Enabling the Feeling of Secludedness 01:41 – The Organisation of the Building 02:12 – The Element of Surprise 02:38 – Built for 2 people or 200 people 02:54 – Covered in Glass 03:09 – Matching the Materials with the Surrounds 03:32 – The Glamorous Material Palette 03:57 – Giving Each Room its own Identity 04:33 – The Oculus 05:10 – The Canopy 05:28 – Designing a Concept from Start to Finish 05:57 – Proud Moments
From the first steps inside, Madison Desert Club is deliberately designed to offer the feeling of being outside when moving from room to room. Imbued with space for the owner to entertain and unwind, Madison Desert Club rejoices in the landscape of La Quinta with an open floor plan and floor-to-ceiling windows and doors.
Additionally, unique design elements are employed to enhance the home’s connection to the outdoors, beginning with a continuous canopy-style roof that is set over parts of the modern house, offering a change of light throughout the day. Another element seen upon arrival is the Oculus – a circular shape integrated into the roof, which allows for uninterrupted views of the sky above. Spanning all three levels, the modern house tour begins at the lower level, where a sauna, spa and gym are placed.
The above two levels hold the guestrooms, kitchen, living, dining areas and private cocktail bar. Expressed by its metal mesh curtain, the cocktail bar is imbued with warm colours that reference whiskey and give the impression of being inside a sophisticated space reserved for VIP clients. On the top level, a dedicated screening room offers a rare surprise when the screen wall opens up to the entire living space below.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Light Filled Natural House 00:23 – Walk-Street Homes 00:48 – A Walkthrough of the Home 01:38 – An Indoor Outdoor Connection 02:19 – The Unique Interiors 02:43 – Working with a Small Floor Plan 03:13 – The Natural Materials 04:01 – A Warm and Inviting Home 04:16 – A Focus on Natural Light 04:45 – Quality Control 05:04 – Blurring the Lines Between Inside and Out
From the raw timber façade to its open plan living, there is a lack of separation between the residence, the street, the climate and the locale, which gives the home its distinct nature. ras-a studio homes in on a quintessential city-beach aesthetic that speaks to its South Los Angeles location. The natural house has a strong attachment to place – a vibrant street with pedestrian-only access.
However, the prime location means the home is compact, posing a significant challenge for the construction. Overcoming this revealed a deeply considered open floor plan that nurtures the feeling of space at every opportunity. Eliminating interior partitions within the kitchen, dining and lounge areas allows for the spaces to borrow room from each other. Upstairs are the bedrooms, a study and a balcony that overlooks the street below, as well as a rooftop terrace that boasts panoramic ocean views.
He has since perfected his expandable home with 10 prototypes: his most recent model is robust enough to serve as a primary residence and has a bathtub and guest bed hidden in the floor. The house can be opened up – on sunny days, for nature-watching or just to sleep directly under the stars – with just a push.
The entire walls and ceiling of the house move, but anyone can propel this 3,000 kilograms (over 6000 pounds) room-on-rails because Schols created a system that is “super low friction”. To create a well-insulated home that has walls that move, Schols and his team designed the rails with wind labyrinths to trap the air and added brushes to any moving surface to prevent airflow.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Architects Family Home 00:45 – A Special Character Location 01:29 – The Ability to Experiment 02:00 – A Shift from Old to New 02:43 – The Material Palette 03:10 – A Focus on the Kitchen 03:39 – The Performance and Aesthetics of Good Design 03:53 – Linking the Outdoors with the Indoors 04:20 – Favourite Aspects of the Home 04:55 – Changing the Way of Living and Operating
Located on a tree-lined street, the architects family home is surrounded by the special character Freemans Bay. Due to this location, the architects renovations came with constraints that pertained to the form and development of the home. However, thanks to the structure’s position upon a ridge, MAUD was afforded the opportunity to build a two-storey addition that is concealed from the street front and does not cross any of the limitations.
Afforded the opportunity to experiment on their own home, the architect was able to try out methods of interior design that they otherwise would not. As such, the renovations to the architects family home included an addition of modern lower levels that connect to the rear gardens, while an upstairs room that affords an outlook beyond the site has been added. Seen throughout the architects family home there is an intentional use of colour to signal the change in eras.
First experienced within the original parts of the home, a muted palette has been used to bring life and character to the space, while in the newer additions there is a shift upon the emphasis of materiality and texture to match the modern years. Using recycled materials to link the new additions to the original home, MAUD shifts and moves the formal shapes of the original zones into the relaxed new additions. In the bathrooms, the use of saturated colours provides an immersive experience, showcasing the ritualistic approaches to bathing.
Video timeline: 0:00 Background on the home 1:47 Piano room and great room 3:12 Office and courtyard 5:10 Primary bedroom 6:44 Budget and cost
Tour this custom $2 million lakefront home designed to feel like it’s floating in mid-air, with unique features including a swimming pool and museum-like details.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Calm House 00:29 – The Location of the Home 00:48 – The Californian Bungalow 01:03 – The Brief 01:22 – A Visual Palette Cleanser 01:47 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:36 – The Material Palette 02:50 – Aspects of the Surrounding Borrowed Landscape 03:31 – The Material Palette Continued 04:03 – Following the Sun 04:28 – Favourite Aspects of the Home
Tribe Studio Architects and Arabella McIntosh bring a distinct, globally inspired approach in crafting the Los Angeles home of Armadillo co-founder Jodie Fried. Whilst an embracing of the natural elements and the similarities in climate that bind both Los Angeles and Australian design, Venice Beach House is founded on the creation of a series of spaces that capture the travelled spirit of its owner.
As the occasional home to Jodie Fried and her family, the resulting calm house speaks to a combined methodology, drawing upon the renowned Californian outdoor lifestyle and familiar elements found home in Australia. Located among an assortment of established bungalow-style homes, the surrounding context plays a key role in shaping the proposed form, scale and proportion of the home whilst referencing a key Australian influence.
Built by Tatum Constructions, Venice Beach House is, at its heart, a calm house. Expressing an openness between inside and out, the home invites connection with the surrounding landscape and ensures a natural spillover of function into the outdoor spaces. The established fig tree in the front garden inspired and directed the planning to optimise natural shading and orientation to create key connections with the natural elements.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Architects Own House 00:31 – Designing for Yourself 00:59 – The Initial Design Ideas 01:13 – Encouraging Usage of the Garden 01:33 – A Focus on the Garden 01:56 – The Original Double Brick House 02:12 – The Central Part of the House 02:58 – Challenges Designing with Heritage Homes 03:39 – The Materials Used 04:35 – Favourite Aspects of the Home
As the owner, architect and builder, OSA dances across the separate realms with ease in order to deliver a home that allows the family to grow in place. Following a desire to open up an architects own house to the outside, OSA uses contemporary methods of design, allowing for the family to easily manoeuvre about.
With the house tour of an architects own house beginning at the double-bricked façade, OSA has additionally maintained three of the original bedrooms, with two facing the street and one opening up to the rear decking. Designed to be the central part of the house, the kitchen is laid out to encourage flow and connection from the private quarters and into the public living spaces. Known to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, the owner and architect has incorporated functionality by allowing it to serve its purpose as well as be easy to live and entertain in.
Boomers Daily 