Built overlooking Bass Strait in Shoreham on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Australia this new home by Borland Architecture is designed to soak up the ocean views.
This project is all about the water view.
The clients wanted a home as close to the water as the planning rules would allow, with as many rooms facing the view as possible.
They wanted to expand their living space, create different zones for his teenage kids, work, and play whilst still being able to train horses and run their businesses.
The home was to be single level, follow the natural fall of the land and be private from the main road.
It was to be robust to withstand the extreme weather with minimal maintenance yet luxurious and comfortable.
Materials used included:
- The structure comprises blockwork, steel, and timber.
- Concrete render, glass, and timber panelling were deployed to external facades.
- Integral windows with 25mm frames were used to all fixed and sliding panels.
- Internally, feature walls were finished in Sandstone and Easycraft VJ board with all others plastered with polished concrete.
- Floors in Endicott crazy paving and engineered timber floor boards.
- Bathrooms with Alt Surfaces X Bond micro cement to all walls.
- All benchtops in custom cast concrete with joinery in timber veneer and laminate.
Securing a planning permit to construct a home on a greenfield site in an area of outstanding natural beauty is challenging.
The brief called for as much glazing as possible facing the water views.
But the water is on the southern side of the building.
That created challenges in achieving high-performance in energy efficiency.
The ocean side of the building can be very exposed to wild weather blowing off the ocean so solutions had to be found to create alternative calm outdoor settings.
Borland Architecture’s response was to firstly construct a building that operated on a working farm.
The clients have a passion for horses and so the Borland Architecture team, led by Roger Borland, proposed to construct stables, a training ménage, and divide the rest of the property into paddocks for horses and cattle.
Secondly, the home had to be positioned so the view of the water was uninterrupted from the road.
So Borland Architecture modelled the entire terrain and planned a low level building set into the landscape to achieve that.
Given the extent of full-height glazing used in every space, Borland Architecture sought out the best performance glazing available.
The selected product not only achieved this outcome, by being double glazed with an argon filled cavity, but also had thermally broken frames which are extremely narrow in profile (25mm thick).
The frames typically perform the worst, so by minimizing their size, Borland Architecture were able to achieve better performance.
The high proportion of glazing was offset with a very high level of insulation in the solid walls and roof.
The zoning of the home was a very important consideration.
Whilst all the views are to the south, this side of the home is very exposed to the forces of nature coming from the Bass Strait.
So Borland Architecture designed the home to offer a calm counterpoint to this wild side by placing the alfresco dining, seating areas, and pool on the northern side of the building.
The building form wraps around these outdoor zones to shelter it and provide a peaceful setting whilst still being visually connected with the ocean through the home.
Project Details
Project Size – 690 m2
Completion Date – 2020
Building Levels – 1
Project Team
Architecture and Interiors
Borland Architecture
Borland Architecture is a client-focused architectural and interior design practice based in the beautiful beachside suburb of Brighton, Victoria.
The team are passionate designers with a conscience, capturing the best Australia has to offer and work with the intention of leaving a positive and lasting legacy.
Engineering
PSE Consulting Engineers
PSE Consulting is one of Melbourne’s most innovative engineering consulting firms, providing civil and structural engineering expertise and innovative, sustainable design solutions.
Photography
Fraser Marsden
Fraser is a commercial photographer specializing in architecture, interiors, and editorial photography.
Photo Gallery
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Design © 2021 Borland Architecture. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2021 Fraser Marsden. All Rights Reserved.
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