The Hepburn Springs House has been designed as a weekend retreat for its city-based owners, with the materiality of the secluded residence focussed on creating a sanctuary that melts into the natural landscape.
Located about 90 minutes north-west of Melbourne’s CBD, the Hepburn Springs residence has been designed by architectural firm Telha Clarke to give its owners a much welcome respite from their chaotic city life. Balancing contemporary functionality and semi-rural serenity, the project uses a combination of shapes, finishes and Alspec aluminium systems to create a peaceful environment that exists as one with nature.
The Hepburn Springs House is comprised of two perpendicular wings, with the main house featuring soaring gables wrapped in slate shingles. Alspec’s Hastings front glazed framing creates a seamless glazed wall that mirrors the surrounding bushland and helps the home disappear into its surrounds. The guesthouse, which juts out from the larger space, is finished in a plain white render, with flat roofing and uninterrupted lines creating a canvas for the tree’s shadows to dance across its façade.
The interiors of the home use contrasting white and black colour blocks to provide visual continuity to the minimalist fitout. Alspec framing systems and a Swan Evo commercial shopfront double door allow for multiple eaves to punctuate the open-plan space, creating interior zones and framing the home’s views into the bushland.
In addition to the aesthetic features, the Hepburn Springs House also boasts serious sustainability credentials. Giving due consideration to the dramatic temperature variables of rural Victoria, Alspec’s ecoFRAMEplus centre pocket double glazed framing was chosen to ensure the space maintained its energy efficiency, allowing the home to respond to its climate without affecting its architectural narrative.
The Hepburn Springs House’s nomination for the AIA Australian Institute of Architects 2020 Victorian Architecture Awards for Residential Houses (New) reaffirms the credibility of this project’s practicality and aesthetics. Contemporary systems such as Alspec’s Hastings front glazed framing and ecoFRAMEplus centre pocket double glazed framing have helped create a functional and beautiful space for the family to escape the chaos of city life.
Alspec products specified for the Hepburn Springs House include Hastings 150mm front glazed framing, Hunter Evo 150mm single flush glazed framing, ecoFRAMEplus 101.6mm centre pocket double glazed framing and Swan Evo 45mm commercial shopfront door in Interpon Night Sky Matt GN231A finish.
Photographer: Lynton Crabb
