Surrounded by lush wild vegetation, this stunning landed property home in Melbourne has a design that harmonises nature with the built environment.
2 August 2017
Home Type: Landed propert in Melbourne
Text by Ella McDougall, Photography by John Gollings
Architecture and nature come together in the Towers Road residence in Melbourne’s Toorak district. The house is an exemplary showcase of architects and landscape architects working together to create a beautiful, nature-embracing dwelling.
The form of this landed property home can be described as monolithic – a solid and sturdy structure that’s both curved and rigid, emerging out of lush wild vegetation.
Woods Marsh Architects designed the statement-making house to look like an impeding concrete sculpture, with pointed angles that cut stark shapes into the skyline.
In a building as contemporary and unconventional as this, the concrete material choice is essential to sooth the confronting form. The stone-like, natural look of the material, aided by the signs of weathering, allude to the natural world.
Contrasting the defensive street presence, the back exterior of the two-storey house is wrapped in full-length windows and glass sliding doors, offering prime garden views to the entire home.
The garden is truly as impressive as the structure itself, and both together express a poetic display of juxtaposition. Against the heavy concrete façade, the garden, created by Taylor Cullity Lethlean (T.C.L.) landscape architects, creates a luxurious escape from the built world.
T.C.L. experimented in densely layered and patterned planting of sappy, verdant shrubbery. To the back, the garden is a seemingly wild concoction of evergreen, ground coverings and deciduous trees. A sense of discovery is also created through the inclusion of arbours, stepping stones and winding pathways. The front garden scape is ornamented in a delicate foliage of Silver Birches to soften the frontage of the house.
More information about Taylor Cullity Lethlean Landscape Architects here, and Wood Marsh Architects here.
Like what you just read? Similar articles below
Designed by Studio Gorman and architect Peter Tout, Harbour House goes beyond visual appeal and stands proudly as a multi-sensory experience, simulating the feeling of living in a James Turrell installation.
Members of the INDE.Awards jury are global leaders in architecture and design and together they make an integral contribution in judging every category of the Awards. Each and every jury member is a leader and through their professionalism, expertise and knowledge they ensure the INDE.Awards is an exemplar on every level.