ca s e st u dy
ramp house
T
here is no more beautiful way to start
this story than in the words of Will
Corner, the architect responsible
for designing Ramp House; a stunning
architectural masterpiece reclined across
the rolling hills in Warragul, “We threw
a stone in the lake,” he says. And, as he
watched the ripples spread and curve across
the water, the inspiration for Ramp House
was born.
“It was quite daunting to work with curves,”
says Will. “It really felt good in terms of what
was drawn and what was on the computer
screen, but then there’s the step into reality.
Will it succeed? Will it perform in the way
I want it to?” To Will’s great pleasure and
pride, it most certainly does. “Darren [the
client] made a comment that when he jumps
on his ride-on and does the circles around
the house, there’s one particular point that is
his favourite. He stops the lawnmower, looks
up and goes ‘wow’.”
Given that the property sits very near an
equestrian facility, the clients were keen
to ensure their privacy. “They didn’t want
people to look through their front windows,
and see what’s happening inside, so we
blocked that off on the south face. As you
10 Australian Window Association
approach the house and open the door, it
unveils the view.
“The ramp was brought up in initial designs
and conversations with the clients. You
require a lot of space to put a ramp in.
We had that, so it became an option. We
wanted to replicate what was happening
outside. The long axis of the house suits
the undulating surface [of the property] so
from one end to the other it falls away. We
wanted to replicate that inside so it’s as if
you’re just walking down the hill to get to the
lower floor. It also provides a sense of space
as it backs onto the living space upstairs the living space gets to enjoy the void and
the light coming from the large single-pane
window.
“The design was based on trying to avoid
potential blow-outs so we tried to create
standard size glazing. I initially had framed
up mullions and sashes in the large window
pane at the end of the ramp. It was the
client’s idea to make it one single pane, so a
specific suite had to be specified. Through
the assistance of AWS, we were able to
provide that single pane. Now, as you walk
down the ramp, you have nothing but clear
views of the tree line which continue the
curve of the house. So it was a collaboration
between the specifier support team and a
local fabricator to assist us in providing the
right suite and the right design.
“Placement of the windows was quite critical
as the clients wanted to appreciate the
views at all times of the day and in all spaces
in the house. We placed the master bedroom
on the east side so the clients could literally
open the sliding doors, walk out onto a
terrace and enjoy the views.
“As you walk through the house towards
the living and study areas on the west side,
the land falls away - you’re now on the
first floor without having to go up or down
stairs. Obviously the impact of the northwest facing sun had to be considered, so
we created a cantilevered balcony and a
cantilevered rooftop. Large sliding doors
open right up so you have a real connection
with the outdoors and the surrounding lake
and tree line.”
Will’s passion for Ramp House is inherent
in every syllable he utters. Who better to
describe the finished building? “When you’re
standing at the lake looking back at the
house it’s quite flat, but as you walk towards