Photography I Ed Sloane

This project comprises of two courtyard houses and a shared sleep-out; with the notion of a Japanese village inspiring the communal layout.

The two houses work collaboratively to form a shared, private, passive solar garden sanctuary. The courtyard design and single depth planning allows for views from every room; both houses having a large north facing verandah, blurring the boundary between inside and out. Sun penetration, cross-ventilation and connection to the garden are all made easy by the single room depth of the plan throughout.

Private sanctuary has been created through careful placement of buildings and decks. This creates both communal and private options for the sibling owners and their families.

The houses are intentionally single storey forms with gentle enclosing pitched rooflines, evoking the quintessential Point Lonsdale holiday house. The roof pitch rakes down into the central garden space, bringing the sky into the garden from all directions, creating a protected and private outdoor space.

Open carports maintain this important ‘beach house’ aesthetic. Car access is discreet, and entry is from the south via the site’s private laneway termed ‘Fellows Lane’.

The project incorporates a shared bike store, a 10KW PV solar system, Tesla battery & car charging point to each dwelling ensuring negligible running costs into the future. The owners have since also created a car share scenario.

Landscaping was seen as of equal importance to the built form; the abundant native gardens spanning Point Lonsdale being what sets the town apart. The garden has a much larger footprint than the houses, making the dwelling subservient and ensuring the built form sits harmoniously within the garden.

The property has been in the family since the clients were children with many summers spent here and this house is testament to those strong family connections to the site & township.

Architect I Farnan Findlay Architects

Builder I Jardine Homes

Engineers I Simon Anderson Consultants

Landscape Architect I Loci Landscape Architecture