Hover House

Hover House
© Shannon McGrath

HOVER HOUSE

Bower Architecture

ARCHITECTS
Bower Architecture

LOCATION
Mount Martha, Australia

LANDSCAPE DESIGN
Sean Edgington

AREA
260.0 m2

PHOTOGRAPHS
Shannon McGrath

MANUFACTURERS
James Hardie

BUILDER
Phil Ellison (Ellcon Building Contractors)

PROJECT ARCHITECT
Chema Bould

DESIGN TEAM
Chema Bould, Jade Vidal, Anna Dutton, Bob Sinclair, Rose Heeley, Ben Shields

PROJECT YEAR
2013

STRUCTURAL ENGINEER
Andrew Beattie (Beattie Consulting Engineers)

Text description provided by architect.

Hover house is a residence in beachside Mt. Martha (Victoria, Australia) re-imagining the single dwelling courtyard on a rear battle-axe block. The project brief was for a tranquil, sustainable and private home filled with natural light, warmth and texture.

Hover House
© Shannon McGrath
Hover House
© Shannon McGrath

As privacy and outlook were limited the concept sought to create a captivating internal focus in the form of a central courtyard, providing a strong link between key spaces.

In order to maximise natural light and privacy a simple sectional gable shape was extruded through the east-west axis of the house, resulting in a form that efficiently collects rainwater, incorporates sustainable passive systems and emphasises views to distant gum tree canopies.

Hover House
© Shannon McGrath
Hover House
© Shannon McGrath

Hover House provides the clients and their friends and family with a warm and functional home all year round, adaptable to varying internal and external circumstances.

Hover House
© Shannon McGrath
Hover House
© Shannon McGrath

Lovingly detailed concealed sliding doors and timber screens allow for the flexibility of each bedroom wing to be open or closed independently from the main living space, aiding energy efficiency and privacy and varying the character of the house with different configurations.

Bedrooms and kitchen areas also capture discrete connections to exterior gardens around the site periphery, complementing the courtyard focus of the living and entry areas.

Hover House
© Shannon McGrath
Hover House
© Shannon McGrath

Internal concrete blockwork, timber veneer and a polished concrete floor provide cost effective texture and warmth throughout the internal living spaces.

The reverse veneer blockwork, insulated concrete slab and fireplace are also effective as thermal mass and, combined with passive ventilation, result in a low energy house which is cost effective to run.

Hover House is a “replicable prototype for cost effective, high-amenity housing” (Nigel Bertram, AIA Victorian Architecture Awards Jury 2014) suitable for other sites where a hostile outlook invites the creation of a meaningful inward focus.

Hover House
© Shannon McGrath
Hover House
© Shannon McGrath


Hover House
Diagram


Hover House
Floor Plan
Hover House
Section


Hover House
Site Plan