Located in Glen Iris’ Summerhill Estate, known for its consistent character of brick interwar dwellings, Waterfall House embraces and expands on the period features typical of this era while increasing space and liveability for its occupants.
With a desire for the period architectural details to be appropriated in a contemporary way, the cream brick addition echoes the curves of the original façade. The sculptural and monolithic nature of the addition made brick the an obvious choice. A handmade Krause brick was chosen, the textural quality unique to the locally sourced clay bricks. Sinuous glass rolls delicately underneath the brick façade allowing the new living spaces to flow from one room to the next. A private roof terrace is concealed behind a brick parapet accessed from the main bedroom with an outdoor bath. A glimpse to the rear garden is possible through the brick revealed porthole.
Internally, a series of level changes addresses the fall of the site and defines spaces, while maintaining connections between. Spotted gum is used throughout the interior in joinery, furniture and wall panelling, complementing vintage furniture lovingly collected by the owners.
Castlemaine Slate paving is used through the garden areas, the freeform laying technique allows landscape edges to curve amongst verdant garden beds. At the rear, a narrow outcrop of the lush garden creeps towards the centre of the house, giving occupants in the new sunken living room the feeling of being immersed in the garden during all seasons.
