This large working family farm outside the township of Inverleigh, Victoria has a long history founded at early settlement. Existing dwellings are spread over a vast area, including the main homestead, outpost cottages and shearer’s quarters. 

Our client’s brief was to create a contemporary, no fuss house to accommodate the property manager’s growing family. 

We drew on the strong architectural history of the original homestead, with central fireplace and protecting verandah. The concept for the house evolved through embedding it into the landscape for thermal and wind protection reasons while softening its impact on the picturesque views. The exposure of the open plains in hot summers and cold winters required the house to be durable. Dry walls are prominent in the region and with readily available granite stone on the site it was incorporated to form a Ha-Ha wall.

The roof-plane was an important consideration as the glint of a galvanized corrugated iron roof in the country always intrigues, blurring the line between agricultural sheds and homes. We sloped the roof gently and adjusted it to suit the rise of the land as you approach on foot.

A budget conscious project and another house to maintain on the farm, it was important the design was entirely practical and with minimum waste. The client takes the same approach to the land, driving sustainable design. The house harnesses its siting adjacent to a waterway for cooling, opening to the northern sun and shielding from prevailing winds. Wingeel house is entirely off-grid and utilizes the thermal mass of the slab.

Location: Wingeel Rd, Wingiel, Inverleigh, Victoria
Typology: New house
Year: 2019
Design: Studio RCA