Architects: Michael Lumby Architecture, Nielsen Jenkins
Area: 640 m²
Year: 2021
Photographs: Tom Ross
Builders: Atma Builders
Engineering: Westera Partners
Landscape Design: Franchesca Watson Garden Designer, Robyn Barlow Garden Design
Landscape: Julian McCarthy Landscapes
Architect: Michael Lumby with Nielsen Jenkins
State: Victoria
Country: Australia
The Merricks Farmhouse, designed by Michael Lumby Architecture and Nielsen Jenkins, is located in Victoria, Australia. Situated on a 50-acre property with views of vineyards, Philip Island, and Western Port Bay, the farmhouse addresses the coastal climate through a central sheltered courtyard garden, enhancing a sense of refuge. A sleek roof contrasts with thick, planted walls, choreographing views and circulation. All rooms overlooks a garden, retaining existing trees. Water collected by the roof is stored in concrete tanks, serving as garden features. Completed in 2021, the farmhouse embodies a modern interpretation of an Australian farmhouse.
Situated on a 50-acre property with views over vineyards towards Philip Island and Western Port Bay, the Merricks Farmhouse addresses the coastal climate with a central sheltered courtyard garden, enhancing the sense of refuge. Despite its large size, it adapts to accommodate permanent residents and visiting families. The sleek roof contrasts with the thick, planted walls that choreograph views and circulation. The design integrates the landscape, with each room overlooking a garden and existing trees retained. Water is collected by the roof and stored in concrete tanks, which serve as garden features.
The project, located on a 50-acre property with views over vineyards towards Philip Island and Western Port Bay, is designed as an abstraction of a typical Australian farmhouse. Its hilltop position provides excellent views and exposes it to the coastal climate.
To counter this, the house is arranged on a single level with a central courtyard garden that serves as a sheltered, introspective focal point. The courtyard is the most important space in the house, offering a retreat from the expansive surroundings and becoming a central point of reference. The house’s design, with thick walls, deep eave overhangs, and dark ceiling finishes, enhances the sense of refuge within the broader landscape.
Despite being a large house intended for two permanent residents, it can expand and contract to accommodate four children and their families during holidays. Three-quarters of the house can be shut down, allowing the main living spaces in the front wing to function as a one-bedroom pavilion, providing spatial intimacy.
The roof, conceived as a sleek, singular element visible in the landscape, sits on elemental walls that are 1 meter thick and planted. These walls extend into the landscape, framing views and guiding circulation. Private spaces have walls that wrap around to form intimate courtyards with floor-to-ceiling views of greenery.
The design prioritizes the landscape, with every room looking out onto a garden. The house integrates existing trees into its layout, retaining the old driveway entry avenue of Elms as the main pedestrian entry and the lilly-pilly windbreak north of the pool as a secondary courtyard edge.
As the site lacks council mains, all domestic water is collected by the large roof and stored in circular concrete water tanks. These tanks, a common feature in farming infrastructure, are used throughout the garden as birdbaths, a firepit, and ponds, serving as reference points within the landscape.
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Project Location
Address: Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
