Designer: Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
There are very few instances where, instead of looking at a piece of art, you can live in one. Aside from falling into Wonderland or stumbling into Narnia, most homes operate on an entirely functional basis, with comfort and style playing a desired second fiddle. That is, of course, unless you are one of Australia’s architectural virtuosos proving that function and sheer unadulterated style are not mutually exclusive.
From buildings that tell a story, to buildings that can change the world, these houses offer a glimpse into the incredible future of design, with houses that would make even NASA feel retro.
1. The Perforated House
Image: Peter Bennetts
Architecture is serious business, but that’s not to say there’s not humour in the art. Kavellaris Urban Design’s ‘Perforated House’ is not only an awe-inspiring house, but also one with laden with irony as it pokes fun at the traditional revered terrace home. Demonstrating that sometimes the best architecture is not traditional, the house uses a translucent exterior etched with decorative detail alluding to the conventional home. The house itself disregards tradition, moving living areas upstairs. In this way the upper level of the house can open entirely without compromising privacy as the house moves like a Rubik’s cube of walls and facades.
2. A Swan Song for Swan Street
Image: Peter Bennetts
Much like a painting can tell a thousand words, so can a building, as perfectly illustrated by this Perth residence; a building made with exquisitely decadent excess for materials and concepts. Questioning notions of time and considering how the building might weather and corrode, this building utilised a traditional weathered timber alongside modern surfaces of corrugated metal and glass to provide a house where the space outside is key.
3. The Minimalist House
Image: Richard Powers
Proving that less is more, architect Sharon Fraser’s super-minimalist home in Byron Bay effortlessly combines function and style, tailored to the environment it is situated in. Working from a palette consisting only of white and black, the house utilises wide windows and glass doors to both flood the house with light, and to blur the lines between inside and out. Indeed, the U-shaped floor plan of the building itself maximises the perimeter of the building, emphasising the picturesque natural beauty of outside.
4. Cape Shank House
Designer: Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
Who needs to go to space when you can have a house that bores into the atmosphere everyday? It might not be quite so grand, but that doesn’t change the fact that this house stands, or rather floats as a strong, powerful and somewhat magical icon on top of the elements. Equipped with solar energy regulators and rainwater collection tanks, this house is the future of design.
5. Anglesey Beach House
Image: Peter Bennetts
A modern twist on a traditional subject will always be a favourite, and in building terms in Australia, nothing screams tradition quite like the beloved beach house. With the trend of the beach houses losing their archetypal ‘shack’ like quality as beach houses become increasingly mansion-like, the designers at Andrew Maynard Architects decided to take a stand. Answering to the plea for more room, but keeping the traditional shape, the architects used a collection of timber boxes to surround the existing beach house, and kept to the bare necessities of comfortable living space with easy access to decking and outdoors.
6. The Eyelid House
Image: Emma Cross on behalf of Gollings
To many, an inevitability of metropolitan living is a lack of space, and both architects and product designers have been voraciously searching for a solution in the design ‘space race’. In Melbourne, Fiona Winzar Architects have taken one giant leap, with their ‘eyelid’ house, a modern dwelling offering space, privacy and sustainability. Fitted with solar hot water, this Victorian terraced house was renovated with a roof extension to mimic an eyelid. This created extra living space in the roof whilst shielding the back façade from the prying eyes of neighbours- and all with the super-sleek sharp lines of modern design.
7. The Cocoon House
Designer: Bellemo & Cat
A beautiful house is one thing, defying the laws of physics is another. Proving that what goes up, doesn’t always have to come down is the ‘Cocoon’, the incredible creation of design house Bellemo & Cat. Using the technology of boats and aircraft, the Cocoon is a hybrid of zeppelin and yacht, and is so lightweight it can rest within the treetops. This holiday-home has certainly raised the bar for green design as its light design allows it leave the land it occupies relatively undisturbed without the need to upturn masses of land.
Coco is a young journalist and blogger based in The Big Smoke. Her interests have been mainly centered around the Arts although she has recently written on a variety of subjects including Travel, Consumer Affairs, and Society. She has been published in The Guardian and The Telegraph, alongside a host of online publications including DontPanic, DISH and VICE.
Nice pictures ..Byron Bay beach houses are looking really fantastic.
Howdy. Very nice blog!! Man .. Excellent .. Wonderful .. I will bookmark your blog and take the feeds additionally…I’m glad to find numerous helpful info right here in the article. Thanks for sharing..