This inspiring new build in country Victoria is proof that style and eco cred are a winning combination –

An old mine in Victoria became the site of an experimental eco home that’s won everyone over, especially the brothers who dreamt it up.

Building a new home is inherently challenging; big dreams and best-laid plans can be unravelled by budget constraints, a tricky site, heritage listing, even the weather. This serene, thoughtful home is a credit to the ingenuity – and tenacity – of its owner, sculptor Ben Gilbert, and his architect brother, Chris Gilbert of Archier, who designed and built it together.

Ben bought the property in Yackandandah, about half an hour’s drive from the Victoria-NSW border, in 2010. Formerly a goldmine and, later, a sawmill, it’s perched on the edge of a quarry and came with a 100-year-old mill/workshop in which Ben lived and worked. The plan was to retain the mill as a studio and build a separate one-bedroom residence (the maximum size allowed under the site’s industrial zoning).

The design the pair came up with is just 150m2, including grassy courtyard and deck. The internal space is 90m2, almost all in one room. It’s full of surprises, however. Clever planning makes optimum use of all the available space, walls shift for privacy or to create lines of sight through the building, and the roof retracts to flood the home with light. “The flexible layout was a response to the environment and how Ben lives,” says Chris. “For example, Ben likes to rise with the sun, so his bedroom faces east. He’s also very social, so the ability to transition from a private space to a communal one was important, too.”

The home is constructed from concrete blocks, timber milled from fallen trees, low-e glass and steel – a striking material

Patinated brass sheets on the kitchen joinery glow in the light and reference the precious metals that were once extracted from the site.

palette that’s more complex than it appears. The concrete blocks, made using cement left in trucks at the end of a job, formed in rough steel troughs, were the starting point. “The blocks are typically sold for use on farms and garden centres for landscaping or barriers,” says Chris. “Rather than simply building an environmentally sustainable building, which we always try to do, we wanted to upcycle a waste product.”

Chris admits the concrete blocks were an experiment, and that the result exceeded expectations. They create a grounding patchwork of colour and texture across the facade. They were also affordable, costing just $6000 for the lot.

Red stringybark is used extensively inside and out, a reminder of the site’s sawmill past. The kitchen and surrounding joinery are clad in patinated brass, the soft gold colour a tribute to the former mine. The northern side of the home consists of floor- to-ceiling double glazing; the entire wall slides open to connect the living/dining area with a generous covered deck.

“I love the simplicity of the design,” says Ben, who lives here with his partner Tijana and their two-year-old son, Fela. “The proportions are so liveable and being able to open the house right up is amazing.” Indeed, the couple has the home open for most of the year. When the weather turns chilly, however, it’s always warm inside, thanks to the use of Clinkafill (a lightweight expanded-clay aggregate) under the slab, which insulates the house from the ground up. There’s also double glazing and a small combustion stove in the living zone.

Ben says he and Tijana couldn’t have wished for more. “It’s so peaceful and gives us everything we need.” Archier, Melbourne, Victoria, and Hobart, Tasmania; 0424 956 318 or archier.com.au.

‘I love the simplicity of the design. The proportions are so liveable, and being able to open the house right up is amazing.’ Ben Gilbert

BEDROOM Sharing the home’s single bedroom works well for the above and opposite young family. It opens to an enclosed courtyard with thriving kitchen garden, which they all keep an eye on. Ben built Fela’s bed and Tijana made the whale cushion. Fela’s bedlinen, Castle. Tiger cushion (above) and grey throw (opposite), Turner and Lane. Main quilt cover, Bonnie and Neil. Pillowcases, Hale Mercantile Co. The pendant light (over main bed) was a prototype for Archier’s ‘Highline’ model, which has since been used in projects by Clare Cousins Architects and Hecker Guthrie. Sculptures by Ben Gilbert. Smart buy: Curtain made from ‘Mystere’ velvet in Peacock, $46/m, Warwick Fabrics.

BATHROOM The compact bathroom also welcomes the outdoors in. Hardy ferns planted at the base of the zinc-clad basin are sustained with greywater.