B.E Architecture has been developing a design for a new family home in Hawthorn. The positioning of the house is set down into the landscape in the front set back, working with the slope which falls below the street level. The entry to the house becomes a secluded area and a reflection pond is positioned between the front boundary wall and the façade along the main entry path into the house.
The new facade of the proposal responds to the streetscape which is characterised by different periods of architecture and older buildings of note. The arched front colonnade brings together diverse historic inspirations from Victorian Italianate balconies, to Georgian plantation styled porches, to civic buildings in India. The irregular spacing and arched loggia gives a modern take on the classic references. The façade treatment also provides shade to the west facing façade creating more inhabitable external spaces overlooking the private reflection pond.
Speaking to a distinctly residential setting, the materiality pushes the time-honoured masonry construction into a modern context, combined with unusual off-form concrete details. The elongated Spanish bricks create a quiet backdrop through their subtle colour and texture. The curved brick detailing around the arches and standing brick edge on the top parapet imbue the building with a sense of craftsmanship. The carefully considered relationship between the concrete sills on the outside and the internal curving insitu concrete window seats are gestures that are time-honoured.
The programing of the house creates to two distinct zones. The front is connected to the reflection pond and central garden courtyard, and the back open on to a suspended pool terrace. Making the most of the sloping site, the house and terrace have dramatic views over the surrounding suburb and beyond.
The project is currently in development and we hope to start construction later in the year.