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<\/p>\nJeremy and Claire Anderson left no stone unturned when designing their finely crafted home and studio in Jan Juc which shelters beneath a canopy of towering eucalypts.<\/p>\n
Both architects, they invested seven years into the planning stage \u2013 a process that began while holidaying in Japan \u2013 with the intention of creating a home and work space that would both complement and respond to its coastal surrounds.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe lived in a little rundown shack on the site and we always had the intention of building a house here,\u201d Jeremy explains.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe existing house was in pretty bad nick so we nursed it along for as long as we could and it got to a point where we were almost falling through the floors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe advantage of that was that we got to understand the site really well – the aspects that we really enjoyed, particularly the northern backyard, the gum trees and the sound of the ocean coming up through the hills.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt meant we could set the house up based on those elements which was really advantageous.\u201d<\/p>\n
Central to the design is a veil of operable, permeable timber screens which provide shelter for the spaces within while welcoming in fresh sea breezes and dappled light that shifts according to the time of the day and position of the screens.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis house, in particular, was designed around natural sunlight and sea breezes,\u201d Jeremy says.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe screens open up to let the house breathe and let the coastal breezes into the house.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt fits in and around the trees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen it is warmer we open the screens up and we are essentially working outside which is beautiful.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd then on colder days we can close it up and it becomes more intimate.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo the way the building adapts to the weather conditions is something we really enjoy playing with.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven from an external point-of-view, bringing the garden into the house at certain times.<\/p>\n
\u201cDepending on what the light\u2019s doing it refracts off the battens and bounces around internally.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jeremy describes it as feeling like \u201cliving on a platform among the bush\u201d \u2013 an experience enhanced by the building\u2019s sense of simplicity and open plan design where there are no walls and rooms in the typical sense.The house is experienced as a single space that can be separated into zones as needed and can adapt to suit those who live, work and play within it.<\/p>\n
There are no internal walls that meet external walls, allowing every room to be opened up to the next.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s quite a flexible floorplan, it can open and close, there are a lot of sliding doors so for the most part we leave the house essentially completely open so you can almost see from the front to the back,\u201d says Jeremy, adding that the house is growing with them since the recent addition of daughter Elki.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe grouped spaces so the living areas are more toward the north and the more private areas are towards the south.\u201d<\/p>\n
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This thoughtful and thorough approach shines through and industry recognition has flowed for \u201cGairloch Studio\u201d which has been shortlisted in both the Houses Awards (New House under 200 square metres) and the Australian Institute of Architects 2022 Victorian Awards (Houses \u2013 New).<\/p>\n
It is further recognition for Eldridge Anderson Architects which was co-founded by Jeremy and fellow architect Scott Eldridge.<\/p>\n
Jeremy says it is both humbling and something they are proud of as a relatively young practice that has grown organically.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve only got four built projects, and amazingly from that three of them have been shortlisted for awards.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel like we are on the right track and we are producing some high quality work.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve deliberately kept our practice quite small so we can be hands-on and be right across every detail of a project.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe build models of every project and clients are often surprised at how we continually refine the design throughout the process.\u201d\\<\/p>\n
This approach is evident in Gairloch Studio with its intricate attention to detail and bespoke approach to both the building form and function, as well as its custom-designed furnishings.<\/p>\n
Recycled blackbutt, glass and steel are the three main elements used and custom-made pieces such as the kitchen bench and dining table are made from stainless steel with a special finish developed by Jeremy and Scott to enhance the subtle light and create a dull glow.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were really testing a lot of things in this house. There\u2019s essentially nothing off-the-shelf in the house, everything is custom,\u201d Jeremy says.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had to reinvent systems, so the door systems for example are completely just made up \u2013 the doors don\u2019t slide in a typical track \u2013 just things like that, every little element, even the locks and hinges, everything we made.\u201d<\/p>\n
Appealing to the different human senses, including touch and smell, is another defining feature of the home and studio that was intended to enhance the ritual of everyday life.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of our projects are probably more concrete heavy materials and masonry elements and that is \u201cBut it really has a different feel to what we wanted to achieve in this house.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were interested in engaging with more of the senses, for example smell and the way the timber feels.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a tactile thing when you open a door and you can feel the sharp edge of the timber or the slightly smoothed edge, it\u2019s something we were really interested in and it\u2019s something people comment on a lot.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the outside you open this big steel door and it reveals itself, like a joinery piece internally.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople often say they can smell the timber as they walk in.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt sort of takes you into another world when you walk into that space \u2013 it\u2019s holistic and it\u2019s a purity of intention, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n
So, is there anything that has surprised them in a space that has been so carefully considered and mindfully designed<\/p>\n
“I did envisage there would be some quite dramatic shadows and things like that but probably didn\u2019t imagine it would be so lit up during the day and change so much.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sun bounces off the side of the battens and gets more deeply into the house and lights it up like a lantern.<\/p>\n
\u201cDay to day it\u2019s a different experience which is really nice.\u201d<\/p>\n
Discover more about Eldridge Anderson Architects at eldridgeanderson.com.au and on Instagram @eldridge_andersondriven more by clients generally.<\/p>\n
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Jeremy and Claire Anderson left no stone unturned when designing their finely crafted home and studio in Jan Juc which shelters beneath a canopy of towering eucalypts. Both architects, they invested seven years into the planning stage \u2013 a process that began while holidaying in Japan \u2013 with the intention of creating a home and […]<\/p>\n