VISION 39 — HOUSE-MASTER
AIREY’S INLET
HOUSE [2013]
The Inlet House is situated near the famed Great
Ocean Road, at the mouth of the Painkalac Creek
where it flows into Bass Strait. While the house enjoys
expansive ocean views to the south, the home feels
anything but exposed. An entertaining wing to the south overlooks the estuary
and ocean, with four bedrooms, bathrooms and a laundry
occupying the north wing. This zoning provided for a
stone paved entry, gallery and courtyards, where the floor
surfaces flow seamlessly inside to out.
The layout of the home is centered around an internal
stone paved "street", linking the two living and sleeping
wings. A pair of curved skillion roofs define the north
and south wings of the home, uplifted at the ends to
allow morning and evening light to wash gently across
the ceilings. The zoning of the house, the southern aspect, and the
prevailing ocean winds dictated the shape of the skillion
roofs. By angling the roofs to the north to form
clerestories, the harsh southerly winds were defected
away from two external decks whilst providing light and
sun deep into the house. The design has resulted in lesser
reliance on artificial heating and cooling, enjoying the
benefits of a light and warm internal atmosphere.
Each room in this home reveals a unique aspect.
The kitchen – living room enjoys expansive estuary and
coastal views, while the north facing bedrooms frame
a private sun-drenched garden.
The site and surrounding vegetation is intrinsic to the
design of this house with pre-weathered grey timber
boards enveloping the house inside and out, allowing the
home to blend into its surrounds.
With foliage spilling from cantilevered planter boxes and
a wire framed arbor on the street side, over time a sea of
vines over the arbor will transform the public side of the
house into something even more beautiful and discrete.
Collaborating with great engineers and landscape
architects the shapes, spaces and landscape of the home
have allowed generous cantilevered forms, 'hanging'
gardens and a surrounding native garden.
With clients wishing to take a long term view, the heating,
cooling and maintenance of the house dictated a passive
solar response incorporating fixed shading, solar access
and cross-ventilation. Together with durable materials to
withstand the effects of salt, wind and potentially fire, this
is a house designed to transcend fashion, while standing
the rigor of time with low operational costs.
A special site inspired the design of the Inlet House.
The property, long held by the family is encircled with
native trees, as a lighthouse beaming down upon them
and is blessed with views to an estuary, sand dunes
and coastal cliffs.
The design response has a sense of being 'right for place'
with a palate and form that respects and enhances the
locale. Colours derived from the surrounding vegetation
inspired the materials with pre- weathered cladding
providing a subtle grey to the façade, requiring minimal
maintenance for the buildings life. The timber is also fire
resistant, an important consideration in this
fire-prone area.
Green-toned glazing and copper detailing reflect
the coast’s foliage and withstand its harsh environment.
PROJECT NAME
Inlet House
DESIGN ARCHITECT
David Seeley
PROJECT ARCHITECT
Thomas Dowling
ARCHITECTURAL ASSISTANCE
Michael Yeo
Peter Rechenberg
Emma Seeley
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
P.J. Yttrup & Associates
Pty. Ltd.
BUILDER
Spence Construction
QUANTITY SURVEYOR
Plan Cost Australia
PRINCIPAL GLAZING
Viridian double-glazing:
EnergyTech™ Green tint,
argon and EnergyTech™
Neutral
GLAZIER
Lugg Glass Geelong