ReNew 116 features one of the most inspired designs for a mudbrick house.
As a former Eltham resident, Wayne Lascelles had stepped foot inside a mudbrick home or two, with the leafy outer Melbourne suburb somewhat of a mudbrick haven since the 1970s.
When Wayne, an architect, decided to design and build his own home, it was only ever going to be constructed from mudbrick. “Mudbrick is such an inviting natural organic medium and creates a pleasant space to be within. All the mudbrick homes I visited at the time I lived in Eltham had a certain feel.”
The design took a twist though. The most striking element here is the radical floor plan and curved ridgeline of this modern mudbrick house, with Wayne noting Gaudi and the Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim museum in Bilbao as inspirations. “It’s like a big bird laying out a wing each side of the central living zone,” says Wayne, quite an achievement for an owner-built property.
The right site
Wayne and his wife Helen searched for an elevated north-facing site to allow for the best solar access possible. They came across “a natural spot” on Melbourne’s semi-rural north-east fringe. Today their passive solar residence nestles high upon a natural ridge overlooking folding green valleys towards the Kinglake National Park, blending perfectly with the surrounding native bushland.
The property had to complement its surrounds as much as possible, hence the low-embodied energy choice of mudbrick. “We wanted to create a sustainable low-maintenance house which blends into its natural bushland environment using natural materials wherever possible and internally to achieve a light, warm, welcoming atmosphere.” It also “had to look to the future” in terms of liveability as they got older. For this reason they opted for a single-level dwelling, having come from a two-level home with plenty of stairs in Eltham.
Inspirational design
With plans to build the home themselves the design had to be low fuss. Elements such as linings, fascia boards, ceilings, skirtings, architraves and cornices were left out, helping reduce labour and costs for materials. Eaves were incorporated into the distinctive and undulating roof, which seems to naturally flow down on the sides to shield living areas from summer sun. Leaving out the internal trimmings also allows the simple and earthy combination of mudbrick, timber and stone to stand out, with the lines much simpler and cleaner.
Read the full article in ReNew 116
This entry was posted on Thursday, June 16th, 2011 at 11:45 am