An Australian beach house and studio created following the country's 2015 bushfires, Wye River House is the creation of the young architecture studio of Matt Goodman, MGAO. The structure, located by its namesake body of water in a small coastal town in Victoria, was designed pro bono by the Australian practice, which wanted to offer assistance to the local community and undertook three such projects within the affected area.
The design, a refined piece of minimalist concrete architecture, contains a private home and workspace for a family with a connection to Paddy Harrington, one of the original builders behind many of the small towns in that stretch of the Australian seaside. ‘This family connection to the built fabric of the town, along with our own interest in the vernacular beach shack typology as a reference for design, led to an exploration of simple materials, rational forms and a “careful carelessness”,' says Goodman.
The structure is simple and functional yet tailored to the clients’ needs. Arranged as a series of rooms in a row, all dual aspect and looking out towards the green and water views beyond its hilly site, the house spans two levels.
The entrance, accessed through a bridge, which accomodates the sloped plot's nature, leads through a sheltered terrace and straight into a kitchen and dining space, which is connected to the main living room. Two en suite bedrooms sit at the opposite end of the home. A lower-ground floor contains a further two bedrooms and an independently accessed studio space. A sense of connection with the outdoors is ever present, thanks to a long balcony that wraps around the lower level, larger decked terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Clean, orthogonal volumes, generous openings and exposed, polished concrete highlight a utilitarian approach that feels at once refined and domestic, light-filled yet also private. Occupying a surface of some 200 sq m, this beach house and studio is a carefully considered home with a distinctly contemporary twist.
INFORMATION
-
Maserati unveils the Fuoriserie By Hiroshi Fujiwara MC20 Cielo modelHiroshi Fujiwara, the so-called Godfather of Streetwear, lends his talents to Maserati’s in-house bespoke division, creating a stylish take on the company’s open-topped supercar
-
Diffar is a new Japanese hair brand making perfume oil at the foot of Mount FujiDiffar, a newly founded Japanese beauty brand, creates perfume oils for hair in its Mount Fuji laboratory that are set to travel the world
-
‘Architecture for Dogs is about exploring the joy and meaning behind design’: ADI’s latest exhibition celebrates the human-canine bondAs a showcase of designs for dogs opens in Milan, we find out why inviting our four-legged friends into exhibitions benefits everybody.
-
Year in review: the top 12 houses of 2024, picked by architecture director Ellie StathakiThe top 12 houses of 2024 comprise our finest and most read residential posts of the year, compiled by Wallpaper* architecture & environment director Ellie Stathaki
-
A monolithic house in rural Victoria celebrates 50 shades of greyAdam Kane Architects’ monolithic house in rural Victoria, Grey House, is ‘a testament to the power of simplicity and harmony’
-
Is Rochester Street Office a creative worker’s dream? Inside a Sydney workspace echoing calmness and lightRochester Street Office by Allied_Office merges utilitarian design with cascading vegetation, presenting a thriving environment for creativity and collaboration
-
A Melbourne family home draws on classic modernism to create a pavilion in the landscapeThis Melbourne family home by Vibe Design Group was inspired by midcentury design and shaped to be an extension of its verdant site
-
Tour Clifton House, an airy Bondi family home, brimming with natural light and foliageClifton House by Anthony Gill Architects is a North Bondi home using an abundance of vegetation to create a slice of privacy within the suburbs
-
Tour this compact Melbourne home, where a small footprint is big on efficiency and experimentationNorthcote House is designed by architects David Leggett and Paul Loh as their own home in Melbourne
-
Bridging Boyd is the rebirth of a modernist Melbourne homeBridging Boyd by Jolson is a modernist Melbourne home reimagined for the 21st century
-
This Sydney house is a family's stylish seaside sanctuaryThis Sydney house is a young family's suburban dream come true thanks to Alexandra Kidd Interior Design and Rich Carr Architects
