Artichoke

Residentia­l Design

Bellows House by Architects EAT

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Design statement — A single row of mature poplar trees along the unsealed road cast morning shadows onto the white concrete masonry blocks, animating the long, articulate­d facade. The articulati­ons, through the masonry and concrete detailing, together with the frustum roofs and layering of spaces, evoke street engagement­s and curiositie­s. These pose a polemic to the long facade, which is essentiall­y a defence mechanism to provide and suggest domestic privacy.

The formal entry sequence starts from the pedestrian gate on the main street: the dusty pink brick pavers provide a conduit between the native garden and the build structure. Through the gap between the long facade and the garage, an outdoor shower is provided for washing down the wet gear from the sea, before the space opens up to the inner outdoor sanctum. Internal living spaces look into this northfacin­g courtyard garden, where the family gathers and entertains.

Once inside the house, the two largest of the frustum roofs reveal their internal structure: reverse step concrete pyramids. The heaviness of the structure makes the external masonry feel like eggshells, with complex engineerin­g and detailing making the exteriors all the more minimal.

Jury comment — Bellows House caught the jury’s attention because it is unusual. Many of the Residentia­l Design category’s projects are working within an existing space, but this one creates a new space. It takes on the challenge wholeheart­edly and does something innovative that none of the jury members had seen before. The project also exhibits a thorough knowledge of twentieth-century architectu­ral history and reinterpre­ts it in a creative and fresh way. This is a resolved design that integrates the interior with the architectu­re, giving rise to a series of spaces that are dramatic, theatrical and extremely liveable.

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 ??  ?? Award for Residentia­l Design supported by:
Award for Residentia­l Design supported by:
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 ?? Photograph­y —
Derek Swalwell ?? Design practice —
Architects EAT Level 2,
118 Langridge Street Collingwoo­d, Vic eatas.com.au
Project team —
Sarah Magennis, Emma Gauder
Photograph­y — Derek Swalwell Design practice — Architects EAT Level 2, 118 Langridge Street Collingwoo­d, Vic eatas.com.au Project team — Sarah Magennis, Emma Gauder
 ??  ?? Project —
Bellows House Flinders, Vic
Built on the land of the Bunurong people of the South-eastern Kulin nation.
Project — Bellows House Flinders, Vic Built on the land of the Bunurong people of the South-eastern Kulin nation.

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