western DISTRICT HOMESTEAD

Set on the rolling hills of a Western District farm, the original 2-storey homestead is a classic example of colonial Georgian architecture. Its severe rectangular form rises out of the hillside and small multi-pane windows puncture the massive bluestone walls to frame views of the landscape. It was a style transported from a foreign land by the new arrivals, who had not yet understood the qualities of the Country they had claimed and one wonders what the Gunditjmara would have made of it.

 

Over successive generations of owners, the homestead was extended in a piecemeal manner, slowly engulfing the original building with lower quality additions. Tasked with creating a retirement home for a couple relocating from Melbourne, the first move was to demolish all the later additions and reveal the original Georgian building once again.

 

The bluestone structure now forms a bookend to a new linear plan. It has been converted into guest bedrooms, study, a formal dining and drawing room. The primary living spaces and master bedroom suite occupy the new extension, where the comforts and thermal performance of a contemporary home can be enjoyed every day. The extension also houses a second guest bedroom, bathroom, laundry/mudroom and double garage. An entry space is located at the junction between old and new, acting as a threshold and forming a link to the original single storey kitchen building that was also retained a second study.

 

A formal courtyard is created to the west of the entry, framed on one side by a new verandah and on the remaining sides by the walls of the new addition. The design of the verandah, as well as the north facing awnings, draw inspiration from Victorian railway architecture, adding a playful candy-stripe element to otherwise austere facades.

 

The new extension is both contrasting and complimentary to the original building. Choosing to emulate the massive construction, it is built from rendered masonry. But in stark contrast, the sheer white walls and expansive windows offer a graphic dialogue with the old house, black and white, smooth and textured, old and new, closeted and open. The two forms stand side by side against the formal garden backdrop.

 

Within the interior of the extension, living areas are flooded with northern light. Axial hallways terminate with carefully positioned windows to frame views in all directions. Rather than seeking retreat, the landscape is now embraced. The rich internal palette draws on the traditional Victorian colour Indian Red, complemented by shell pinks and occasional touches of gold. The interiors of the Georgian house were also renovated, restoring the original features and painting each room in a different pastel shade, bringing a fresh sense of joy to these spaces.

Project Team:

Architects: Bianca Scaife, Daniel Cooper & Emma Sommerville.
Structural Engineer: Lowe consulting Engineers.
Builder: Max Murray Builders
Photographer: Tess Kelly