On the damaged landscape of a former goldmine this little house takes inspiration from it’s historical surroundings.
The proposed building has an exaggerated pitched roof and gable end chimney. To the street a verandah is proposed, with views into the kitchen behind. A deep reveal to the living room creates a connection to the garden and big views to the old mined landscape beyond where gold was first discovered in Victoria. A large eave gives shelter from the northern sun.
The layout responds to the topography of the site. A strategy of stepped levels within the building avoids large cuts into the landscape and establishes a strong connection with the ground.
The form and materiality of this little house respond to vernacular traits, present in many goldfield buildings. A strong solid plinth line is expressed in concrete, referencing the stone plinths of older grand gold funded buildings. A lighter weight top crowns the solid base. This takes its reference from the tin roofs and sheds around the local area. The chimney sits as an attachment to the western gable end, similar to many miners cottages found in Clunes. By keeping the roof and walls in a single material, the house reads as an object as it is visible from a variety of vantage points.
It is a contemporary building which respects the heritage of the area.