There are three things that preoccupy an architect when they are about to approach a new project: the site, the client brief and the budget. All three have to be held in balance to create the optimum result as is clearly illustrated by this exceptional house by Rob Mills Architecture & Interiors in Aireys Inlet on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road.
For Rob, the site presented a challenge that was emotional as much as practical. “I had holidayed in this area as a child and knew it well, so I was aware of the great privilege of building on this rare block of north-facing land. There are very few plots of this calibre in the world and I had a duty of care,” he says.
A 90-minute drive southwest of Melbourne, Aireys Inlet is a small coastal town set between Anglesea and Lorne with a longstanding surfing culture. There are two significant landmarks which define the coastal experience, one man-made and one natural, which have been respected in the design process: the Split Point Lighthouse built in 1891 and Eagle Rock, a large volcanic stack capped by limestone. The land itself is set within a conservation precinct that borders national parkland and a marine park. Rare indeed.
Rob had also built a holiday house for himself and his family, the Ocean House (which featured in Belle December/January 2011/12), in nearby Lorne, so he knew the terrain and the potential for the clients to experience, as he had done, the magic of living between a forest of tea-trees, eucalypts, banksia and native grasses and the wildness of the ocean.
This story is from the December - January 2021 edition of Belle Magazine Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the December - January 2021 edition of Belle Magazine Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The wow factory
The sisters steering Zuster furniture brand put a creative spin on their own industrial zone.
OPEN INVITE
This handsome home in the NSW Southern Highlands welcomes within its walls both generous rural views and a steady flow of guests.
DUAL ACCENTS
American heritage style meets Spanish mission design in this harbourside Sydney home.
Grand vision
It can be easy being green or it is for this house -that cleverly combines lavish spaces and timeless style, while also being kind to the planet.
POWER AND GLORY
An angular concrete structure packs a punch in a new build on an elevated site in Sydney while its interior design offers a softly layered and textured counterpoint.
COLOUR BURST
A joyful exuberance permeates this heritage home reinvented by interior designer Andrew Parr with zesty hues, lively contemporary art and iconic furniture.
LA VIE EN ROSE
Poised above Pittwater in Sydney's north, this weekender is alluringly relaxed - and offers holiday fun for family and friends.
COOL, CALM COLLECTIVE
An ever-changing array of covetable antiques, objets d'art and unique pieces ensure the interiors of this beautiful store has a collected feel and sense of permanence.
BOLD CHOICE
Architect and trailblazer Piero Gesualdi's Melbourne emporium, Mondopiero, is a celebration of timeless design and craftmanship, with a sprinkling of decorative flair.
HIGHER CALLING
In a world that is typically more about me, me, me, quietly luxurious day spa Venustus keeps thriving three decades on with a true commitment to inspired client service.