Edgars Creek House / Breathe Architecture

Architects: Breathe Architecture
Area: 275 m²
Year: 2019
Photographs: Tom Ross
Manufacturers: Fisher & Paykel, Ambiance Lumiere, Binq, Briggs, Brodware, Earth Structures Peninsula, Eco Outdoor, Led Lux, Mark Tuckey Egg Cup, Par taps, Urban Salvage
Builder: Never Stop Group
ESD: Nick Bishop ESD
Structural Engineers: FORM Structures, Keith Long & Associates
Project Architect: Madeline Sewall
Design Director: Jeremy McLeod
Program / Use / Building Function: Dwelling
City: Coburg
Country: Australia

Edgars Creek House by Breathe Architecture, nestled on the banks of Edgar’s Creek, is a nature-integrated residence designed to respect and harmonize with its landscape. Rather than dominating the terrain, the house is built to follow the natural slope through undulating volumes and materials that mimic the surrounding sandstone cliffs and bushland. The design includes a brise soleil for light control, which connects three primary pavilions for sleeping, bathing, and living. Locally-sourced, sustainable materials like Ironbark and recycled Tasmanian Oak define the house, which is fossil fuel-free, powered by rainwater tanks, an electric heat pump, and designed for future solar and battery integration. With its passive solar orientation, double-glazing, and minimal applied finishes, Edgars Creek House exemplifies a low-impact, texturally rich retreat.

Edgars Creek House / Breathe Architecture

This home honors the land it inhabits. Situated on the banks of Edgar’s Creek with views of sandstone cliffs and Ironbark trees, Edgars Creek House is crafted to immerse its residents in nature. Rather than imposing on the landscape, the design embraces a simple, integrated lifestyle, aligning the house to the contours of the site. The home comprises a series of gently stepping volumes that adapt to the slope, creating a seamless blend of indoor and outdoor spaces that flow between light and shadow. Clad in raw, natural materials, Edgars Creek House embodies a straightforward, honest approach to design, framing precise views of the surrounding trees.

Oriented with its primary outlook toward Edgar’s Creek to the west, Edgars Creek House integrates openness, shading, and ventilation through a brise soleil. This architectural screen produces a dynamic microenvironment, filtering light to shift with weather and seasonal changes, grounding residents in their natural surroundings. Acting as an open-air spine, the brise soleil divides the home into three distinct pavilions—for sleeping, bathing, and living—each framing a central courtyard. This courtyard, along with each pavilion, is carefully designed to feature views of the landscape, showcasing Ironbark trees and the winding creek beyond.

Edgars Creek House thoughtfully reflects the natural materials of its surrounding bushland. The southern facade is protected by a rammed earth wall that mirrors the sandstone cliffs along the creek. Each pavilion, like the Ironbark trees nearby, is clad in untreated Ironbark, while wet areas are finished with Australian Ironbark decking. The kitchen features Messmate bench tops complemented by a raw brass splashback. Most flooring throughout the home is recycled Tasmanian Oak, with stone used in the sunken living room. Fixtures include raw brass tapware and custom-bent copper piping with simple brass hose cocks, adding to the home’s earthy, unpolished aesthetic. Facing west, the brise soleil is constructed from Grey Ironbark posts with matching Ironbark sliding doors. Designed to blend seamlessly with the landscape, the house prioritizes privacy and tranquility, creating a retreat that is textured, minimalist, and authentic.

Sustainability Statement: At Breathe Architecture, ethics are prioritized over aesthetics, emphasizing compact footprints, minimal finishes, durable materials, and efficient construction, with the goal of building less and giving more. Edgars Creek House is fossil fuel-free in operation, equipped with two 5,000-litre underground rainwater tanks, an electric heat pump for hot water, and provisions for hydronic heating, rooftop solar panels, and battery storage. Material sustainability is central, with an emphasis on recycled, recyclable, and locally sourced materials. Unnecessary finishes are avoided, leaving surfaces raw and exposed. Double-glazed, thermally-broken tilt-and-turn windows, along with lift and slide doors, create a tightly sealed environment, supporting passive solar orientation to enhance thermal efficiency and maintain temperature stability. Furthermore, timber screens and punched openings are strategically placed throughout the pavilions to filter intense summer sunlight.