Red House by Inarc, Red Hill

Red House at Red Hill

Australian architects preserve the peace at upscale Melbourne city dwellers' getaway

Our Australian readers won’t need us to tell them that Red Hill has become the coastal retreat for Melbourne’s upscale residents. However, escalating prices have brought something of the city with them and are in danger of threatening an area loved for its beauty and serenity. Therefore, Melbourne architecture practice, Inarc set out to preserve the peace with its (recently completed) Red House at Red Hill.  

The practice says the structure – a linear arrangement of spaces emanating radially from a central hub - represents the adventurous spirit of the Australian weekender (albeit with a little more discreet comfort). Certainly, the long, kinked and fragmented plan of the building allows for a variety of different views from every room, the best of them looking out towards the nearby Port Philip bay and its passing ships. The building is surrounded by trees that serve as protective windbreaks. 

 

Red House at Red Hill
Red House at Red Hill

 

From a distance the structure's rusted steel cladding appears solid, but closer inspection reveals a transparent veil of perforations - a trend in itself. Inarc says “The uniformity of the cladding and the jagged composition of walls and roof suggest the house as sculpture.” The practice is keen to point out however, that it’s “a weekender that works”.

 

Red House at Red Hill
Red House at Red Hill