The design brief was for a rural Australian home that would allow the homeowner to live on the land and surrounding bush. Shaun Lockyer and Jen Lambkin of Shaun Lockyer Architects have created a homestead that on the one hand is perfectly attune with Australia’s rural vernacular and on the other, uses contemporary architectural solutions to address the practicalities of living on the land.
Traditional sweeping verandas and long beautiful timber steps capture the endless bush view along the south west aspect of the home. The north east face of the house called for more solid solution to take the brunt of the weather, here, the architecture changes to incorporate contemporary Coolum stone walls providing the strength and stability the building needs to appropriately respond to its landscape.
The palette of materials has been carefully curated. Almost all surfaces are natural products in their raw form. The spotted gum hardwood, zinc details and Coolum stonework are celebrated through the architecture, and left in their natural state are encouraged to age, silver and patina overtime.
The home is uncomplicated and authentic. It feels Australian, rural, traditional and contemporary. It has its own identity perfectly suited to its surrounding landscape and as the natural materials of the home age with time this building will only settle even further into the landscape. It’s an honest building that responds to the landscape and unsurprisingly the end result is spectacular.
