JOH Architects

Glenhope House

Glenhope House
© Dianna Snape

GLENHOPE HOUSE

JOH Architects

ARCHITECTS
JOH Architects

PHOTOGRAPHS
Dianna Snape

LOCATION
Melbourne, Australia

AREA
355.0 m2

PROJECT YEAR
2009

Text description provided by architect.

The house is a family weekender located on approximately 100 acres in the granite belt roughly one hours drive north of Melbourne. Our brief “in simple” is summarized in the points below.

Glenhope House
© Dianna Snape
Glenhope House
© Dianna Snape
Glenhope House
© Dianna Snape

- A contemporary dwelling to comfortably house the entire family, but with the opportunity to “zone” when there are only two residing
- Strong focus to all four elevations - not just a façade
- Low maintenance natural materials
-  To capture the views in all directions
- Extensive outdoor areas with shelter from both east or west
- Respect for the local climate (extreme heat & cold)

Glenhope House
© Dianna Snape

The obvious site for the house has panoramic views of the surrounding hills with the existing site access road approaching from the south.

We created a circular driveway at the head of this road leading to covered car spaces, which radiate off the driveway, and provide sheltered access directly through the boots room or laundry on either side of the main entry door.

The dwelling has three wings built around this central circular drive, bedroom / study wings along the east & west sides, with the main living, kitchen, dining and decks along the north.

Glenhope House
© Dianna Snape
Glenhope House
© Dianna Snape

A gallery connects the three wings and main entry. The bedroom wings are mirrored geometric compressed cement sheet boxes with deep reveal windows providing shade and weather shelter.

The main living, kitchen, dining and decks facing due north are under one long blade corrugated roof structure supported by high rustic timber trusses which are supported of a rammed earth blade wall.

Glenhope House
© Dianna Snape
Glenhope House
© Dianna Snape

The rammed earth wall also separates these areas from the gallery walkway, which links all three wings and the building entries.

MATERIALS ARE

Natural timber cladding, decking, trusses and windows have been used along the northern wing with zincalume finish corrugated roofing. The blade rammed earth wall has the same natural finish both inside and outside the building.

The only painted external surface is the compressed cement sheet cladding to the bedroom / study wings. The paint colour was selected to best match the distance eucalypt hillsides (earthy olive / brown), which blends with all the selected natural building materials as well as the surrounding landscape in both summer (dry barren brown) and winter (Lush green hillsides)

Glenhope House
© Dianna Snape


Glenhope House
Floor Plan


Glenhope House
East Elevation
Glenhope House
West Elevation
Glenhope House
South Elevation
Glenhope House
North Elevation

JOH Architects
T +61 3 93870770
JOH Architects
Studio 6/108 Union St, Brunswick VIC 3056, Australia