Month: October 2019

Photography by Peter Bennetts Architecture firm Atelier Red + Black, together with builder Kleev Homes, has recently completed a brick extension for a house in Northcote, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. Inspired by their client’s childhood in Asia, where they were surrounded by brick, the new extension shines bright with it’s painted and a patterned […]

The Cap St-Martin residence is located at the end of a long winding road in Potton. Most of the neighbouring properties are made up of second homes isolated from each other by a mixed forest, facing Lake Memphremagog. The residence is located on a plateau surrounded by a wooded mound to the west and a steep slope to the east. The path down from Cap St-Martin is steep, but a staircase leads to the lake. From the first meeting, clients spoke of their attraction to the “barnhouse” style, an architectural influence that refers to the region’s long farm buildings. They are looking for a warm second home that offers a great view of nature. The design then moves towards a simple and elongated traditional shape, which is characterized by a contemporary reinterpretation of the barn.

Set in the coastal suburb of Thirroul, close to the local beach, this residence draws its inspiration not from the waves lapping on its doorstep but from the dominating landscape feature of the area, the Illawarra Escarpment. The edge of the Southern Highlands Plateau is the ever present weather maker of the region, trapping clouds and shading its foothills from the sun in winter while commanding views towards the west with the light playing across its cliff face. These cliffs have been formed through erosion and expose the geological layering within. Claystone, Shale and Sandstone layers are interlaced with a coal seam running through the lower part of the slope. Dubbed the Escarpment House, this residence takes clues from these geological layers surrounding it with its structure layered similarly. A black concrete slab and portal structure forms the lower living areas referencing the coal seam running underneath it, while layers of lighter materials and natural timbers dominate the upper level in reference to the 1800s timber industry in search for the ‘red gold’, the Australian Red Cedar that supported the earliest settlements along its slope.