Come with us to explore Edgars Creek House. Tucked into the steep, bush-fringed banks of Edgars Creek, this is a home that doesn’t just sit on the landscape, it becomes part of it.
This striking home is raw, honest and quietly extraordinary. The kind of place that makes you stop scrolling and lean in closer. We sat down with Tamara Veltre, Co-Founder of Breathe Architecture, to find out how this very special home came to life.
Related article: A sanctuary among the trees: Inside Mountain House bathroom
Related article: Elegance reimagined: A tour through an art deco apartment
Edgars Creek House showcases sustainable living at its most soulful.
“The client was an incredibly unique person with a deep connection to the land and the world around him,” says Tamara. “After visiting the site and understanding their vision for a raw and simple place to dwell, nestled into the landscape, we knew this was a project we wanted to be part of.
“Edgars Creek is situated in Coburg North in Victoria. Its design showcases 3 pavilions stepping down a sloping site, rammed earth walls, ironbark timber and a breezeway that shifts with the seasons.
“The home features 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a sunken living room and open courtyard. More notably, is the brise soleil on the outside of the home.
“Brise soleil is French for ‘sun breaker’ and it serves as a solar shade system. It helps control the amount of sunlight and solar heat that enters the home. It’s nice that it’s also an incredibly beautiful design feature.”
The site’s steep slope was a key design challenge, and ultimately, the greatest inspiration.
“Rather than flattening or fighting the land, we worked with it,” Tamara recalls. “Instead of looking at how we could make the site fit around the house, we looked at how the house could fit organically into the site.
“With Edgar Creek sitting to the west, we wanted to open the home up to that outlook, while managing shade and airflow. That’s where the brise soleil came in.
“It’s the open-air spine of the house off which other spaces could branch. From this spine, the home is broken down into 3 elements, 3 pavilions.
“One for sleeping, one for bathing and one for living. They look out onto a central courtyard and frame the view through a stand of tall Ironbark trees to the west and on to the meandering creek beyond.”
Every material chosen for this home has a reason. And that reason is always the landscape.
“The materiality of Edgars Creek House responds to its bushland context,” Tamara explains. “A rammed earth wall shields the southern side of the home, echoing the sandstone cliffs of the creek below.
“The pavilions sit among the ironbark trees and are clad in raw ironbark themselves. It gives a beautifully seamless connection between the build and nature itself.
“Inside, the story continues. There are no tiles anywhere. Wet areas are lined with Australian ironbark decking, and the kitchen features Messmate benchtops paired with a raw steel and brass splashback.
“We chose recycled Tasmanian Oak as the flooring throughout with stone flooring in the sunken living area.
“All the tapware is raw brass, with custom bent copper pipe and simple brass hose cocks finishing the look.
It’s utilitarian, earthy and completely stunning
This home is about creating spaces that embrace the beautiful surrounds.
“The living room is special,” says Tamara with a smile. “That corner window that opens to the bush landscape is just beautiful.
“The sunken living room sits at the heart of the home’s western outlook. It ensures the view is all about creek bank, ironbark trees and sky.
“We gave careful consideration to celebrating the beautiful features of the site, and filtering out the noise.
“And of course the brise soleil is the unexpected fun in the house. The space changes with the elements and is a reminder and a constant connection for the homeowners to the changing seasons.
It’s less a hallway and more of a living, breathing part of the home.
Credits
Photography — Tom Ross
Architect — Breathe Architecture
Builder — Neverstop Group
What an absolute treat this home is! It immediately calms the soul, don’t you think?! For more incredible homes to discover, be sure to take a look at Breathe Architecture’s website or follow them on Instagram.
Want more home tours? Find them here
