A move from Melbourne city to Mornington Peninsula’s Blairgowrie saw Gray Puksand engaged by the client to bring their sea change dream to life. An evocative coastal hinterland setting, and sloping site were integral to the design narrative of Blairgowrie’s Flow House.
Project name: Flow House
Studio Name: Gray Puksand
|Project size: 280 m2
Project Budget: $2
Completion date: 2020
Building levels: 2
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Photography: Christine Francis
The Gray Puksand designed residence adopts free-flowing lines and sinuous curves to present a sculptural exterior every bit as picturesque as its surroundings. Curved elements are used judiciously to create an architecture which conveys the notion of the upper levels flowing down to the ground.
The primary living spaces are defined within floating planes that are stretched horizontally to create overhangs and decks. Materiality was key in achieving the client brief for an elegant home with polished flooring, timberwork, and glass dominating the interior. At the lowest level masonry has been used to suggest the idea of an escarpment protruding out of the hill. This masonry establishes the podium for the primary living areas which are clearly distinguished, sitting atop the escarpment. First Floor spaces are designed around capturing the views around the house.
At Ground Floor the focus is on creating a more intimate setting with rooms overlooking the water of the lap pool. The external stair offers a romantic architectural gesture, with its grand scale intended to create a sense of formality and anticipation in the journey to the main entrance.
The design language celebrates the idea of moving though space , with the architecture being more expressive on the vertical circulation routes, to the entry, and within the house. Internal finishes are largely kept neutral to promote the idea of interflow between exterior and interior spaces.
Multi-toned battens screen the garage and internal spaces to establish an entry level presence that visually aligns itself with the tones and trunks of the adjacent natural coastal woodland areas.
The Flow House stays true to its name. With free-flowing lines and a view that brings the ocean in, the home makes for a unique study in sculptural architecture and designing on a slope.
