Houses, December 2020
HousesThe best contemporary residential architecture, with inspirational ideas from leading architects and designers.
Preview
Houses 137 preview
Introduction to Houses 137.
Revisited
Paul Couch’s Toolern Vale revisited
Having worked under Robin Boyd, Paul Couch has all the markings of a significant Australian modernist, despite being known to few. In Toolern Vale, the home he built some 50 years ago for his family in Victoria’s Macedon Ranges Shire, his sculptural and singular expression takes permanence in the landscape.
Projects
Cacophony of roofs: Rae Rae House
Behind the heritage facade of two pre-existing Melbourne houses, this new home for a family of five strikes a balance between quietude and noise, between fun and functionality.
Joyful surprises: Philosophers’ House
Peppered with joyful details, this alteration and addition to a family home in Sydney provides its thoughtful owners with all that they need to live well.
East Street House by Kerstin Thompson Architects
With views to Mount Huon, this home in rural New South Wales achieves much with its simple form, offering a space for all seasons and a “free plan” where occupants can decide how and when rooms are used.
A house as a portrait
In 2018, Kerstin Thompson Architects designed Albury House for Jane and Vic Carroll. A written exchange between Kerstin and Jane delves into common questions about the architect–client relationship.
More articles
Building for the climate: Goskar House
A Brisbane house by Anna O’Gorman Architect balances economy with impact, space with sustainability, function with aesthetics.
Land of memories: The Farmhouse
Referencing the landscape and vivid family memories, a richly detailed farm house on a pastoral site outside Brisbane provides a grounding platform for ageing in place.
Tour de force of materiality: Garden Estate
House and garden are given equal import at this Point Lonsdale oasis, where a modernist approach of traditional rammed earth has created a home that is at one with its site.
A botanical brief: House in the Garden
Nimble moves and a shared vision were required to modernize a house with ‘well-proportioned bones’ on Sydney’s lower north shore. The result is a space that is modest in size yet rich in experiences.
Spirit of modernism: Beaumaris House
Continuing the legacy of mid-century architects, whose designs have shaped the Melbourne suburb of Beaumaris, this monolithic yet sensitive house embodies the modernist spirit.
First House: Belmont Street Residence
When David Boyle was approached to renovate a small cottage in the inner suburbs of Sydney to accommodate a couple and their beloved pet rabbits, he discovered a love of fluid, sequential spaces, which has carried through his work as his practice has matured.
The houses of Madeleine Blanchfield Architects
Madeleine Blanchfield Architects works with instinct and wit to create spatially rich, beautifully detailed houses that draw in sunlight and balance privacy with views.
The finer things in life
Timeless planters, lush rugs and artful accessories – these are the finishing touches that make ordinary spaces extraordinary.
One to watch: Bokey Grant
In his pursuit of “excellence, beauty and honesty,” Jeffrey Bokey-Grant of Bokey Grant creates residential architecture that exemplifies creative curiosity and responds to the particularities of the site.
Meet the owners of Hollow Tree House
A colonial-era property in the heart of Tasmania, Hollow Tree House called for a slow, archaeological design approach. Here, Stephanie McGann chats with Harriett England, one of the home’s owners, about the deeply collaborative process of refurbishing and renovating this house of many histories.
Stripping back layers: Hollow Tree House
Core Collective Architects restored a colonial-era house in regional Tasmania, meticulously preserving Georgian details.