Gabion Walls Made of Volcanic Rock Flank a Flat-Roofed Farmhouse in Australia

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Project Details:

Location: Victoria, Australia

Architects: Archier / @archier_

Footprint: 2,454 square feet

Builder: Hardwick Build Co

Structural Engineer: Astleigh

Landscape Design: Lisa Ellis Gardens

Interior Design: Client in partnership with Kerry Smith Interior Design

Photographer: Thurston Empson / @thurstonempson

From the Architects: "The client are seasoned farmers who are committed to sustainable agricultural practices, and it is through this lens that the design brief was framed. We asked ourselves how our clients could live on this land in a modern but thoughtful way, what a modern farm and farmhouse should and could look like, and how we could integrate the building into a site that has been cleared of its bushland. The final design touches each of those questions in a subtle and restrained way.

"We utilized stone from both the site and neighboring farms to anchor the building into the site, with rough-sawn timber cladding talking to the lost bush land, and a galvanized steel roof that is a nod to the vernacular Australian farmhouse. Volcanic rock literally emerges from the soil over time so it seems fitting to use it in this context. The clients erected and filled the gabion walls themselves. The building also creates shelter for a small but stunning garden; this complex ecosystem sits in contrast to the rolling green pasture.

"To support the client's busy lives as farmers and parents the space needed to feel calm, light-filled, and uplifting. The conditions on site swing dramatically from gale-force winds to clear blue sky within minutes, so the building needed to act as a refuge from the storm whilst capturing the drama of the landscape."