From the architect:

Bulleen House is a 440sqm new house located in the lush green area of Bulleen, Victoria.

The client’s brief was for a house that would work with the site conditions to create a home which felt open, light-filled, natural and connected to the garden.

The house is on a sloping site that has a length running east to west. We decided to position the main body of the house along the southern boundary, which then wraps around the end of the site to focus the view inwards, instead of the traditional house and rear backyard approach. By doing so, we were able to then take full advantage of the northern orientation, introducing passive solar design techniques which allow the design to maximise its thermal efficiency. The thermal mass elements of the internal brick walls and polished concrete work together to moderate the internal comfort.

At the front, the house rises up with a narrow façade. This was designed specifically to balance out the street frontage, but also less façades reduces the solar impact to the building from the hot west sun. Where we do have windows, they are covered by an external motorised venetian blind system, which reduces the greenhouse effect.

The building is made of a series of brick volumes on the ground floor, which are then connected by small glazed links and a long black metal-clad first floor. This is then repeated in the interior volumes. Every room has a subtle distinction with its use of materials and levels, and each space then has its own sense of individuality. This allows each room to be connected while remaining distinct.

Two sets of large sliding doors are located to either side of the dining area, which can then be slid completely away to open the house into the garden entirely. This space then seemingly becomes part of the exterior landscape and at the same time the interior rooms. This blur between the two creates a dynamic use of space and forms an active relationship for the clients and their house and garden.

From there, you then step down into a north-facing garden, where the mix of timber decking, paving and grass creates a playful and functional landscape.

PRODUCTS/SUPPLIERS

• Benchtop – Corian benchtop, Glacier Ice
• Timber veneer – Blackbutt, feature grain, quarter cut veneer
• Fridge – Liebherr integrated fridge 7252 premium biofresh nofrost
• Basin Mixer – Kitchen Sink Arq Rogerseller Mixer Graphite
• Basin – Alapte Metaphor Counter Basin 750mm White
• Tiles – Sugie Series Hanten
• Wall light – Flos 265 Wall-mounted light, white
• Timber Flooring – Spotted Gum Engineered Floor Boards from Ecotimber
• Shower arm – Mare hand shower and integrated wall union matte black – from Rogerseller