Finding a place to call home doesn’t always begin with four walls. For the family of the Two Pavilions home, it began with the undulating hills that overlook the Victorian coastline; farmland that had been in the family for generations. With the crown land front and centre, Tom Robertson Architects have taken care to design two pavilions to house the immediate and extended family, from the ground up.
DESIGN Tom Robertson Architects | PHOTOGRAPHY Lillie Thompson
Since the 1960s, it was family tradition to gather and holiday on the property. But the prefabricated shack that had served them well was unable to accommodate the growing family, so consideration for a new home was made. With this, the clients could consider exactly how they could best accentuate the extra special land.
Perched high to absorb the ocean views, the timber-clad pavilions sit comfortably in the grassland. The locally-sourced hardwood timber ticks all the boxes for both a rural and coastal surrounds; ageing gracefully and only blending better once weathered. Between each pavilion structure is a breezeway, offering an elevated, framed vista. The Pavilions are nostalgic to traditional farm buildings, with a gable roof reflecting a barn-like structure that Tom Robertson Architects have used to regulate the shade and sun indoors. So on a scorching summers day, the home is a welcome reprieve – offering a cooling breeze from each of the easy openings. Yes, those floor-to-ceiling windows and doors aren’t just for capturing the perfect prospect – they provide optimal ventilation.
The exterior reflects a consciousness to the local environment, far from forgotten inside. The timber-clad ceiling is a gentle reminder of this continuity and the strong material element of the home, nicely balancing the concrete and exposed brick. The tactility and industrial beauty of these materials imparts character and richness to the soft pastel and grey hues of the space, tilting its cap to a distinctly modern Australian style. Spoilt with light, the home has a contemporary ambiance, anchored by the kitchen design, where marble details, timber storage and a very fitting window splashback find the perfect balance of refined quality and functionality.
Shaped by the position points, every private and public space enjoys the uninterrupted panorama, for a spacious and airy feeling. Using the pavilion structure to their advantage, Tom Robertson Architects have designed the layout to segment bedrooms, living and dining – with a special retreat for the grandparents. This ensured multiple generations can enjoy the home, all at the same time. But at est we see liveability is about comfort and being able to change the configuration of internal spaces from generous to intimate – an ability Tom Robertson displays, with a sense of continuity from room to room. Here on this bed of memories, a family can satisfy their need for a rural and coastal retreat – all at once.
The living takes form around an integrated fireplace, proving the space isn’t just to be relished in the warmer months.
Photography by Lillie Thompson produced for The Local Project and republished with permission
