A home can be a fragile balance; between internal and external spaces, between colour and light and often between new and old. For Robert Mills Architects, it was a matter of balancing all of these with the Goulburn Valley House in the hills of Goulburn Valley, Victoria.
Originally built in the late 1800s, the home – consisting of a grand Victorian homestead and a connected farmer’s cottage – had to meet the changing dynamics of the owners, with the architect given a brief to provide more living space.
This space has been delivered in the form of a long, low profile pavilion; a “modernist glass box”, which provides an obvious counterpoint to the homestead without dominating either the existing buildings or the landscape in which it sits.
“The home is set in rolling pastures. My aim was to make the addition as transparent as possible with the intent of not punctuating the view of the landscape,” Director Robert Mills explains.
Despite its bold lines and charcoal finish the new pavilion sits silently alongside the Victorian structures, echoing their proportions and providing a connection with the land that the older buildings could not.
The architects have also created a two-car garage and renovated the existing home to further create a seamless transition between the modern and traditional.
There aren’t many opportunities such as this for architects and owners, but when they do arise it is only through a strong, trusting relationship between the two, coupled with brave decisions, that homes such as this are created.
“A home is about the people who reside in it, so a home must also shelter and protect,” says Mills. “I feel that we have a responsibility to create a home that nurtures and uplifts the spirit.”
Robert Mills Architects
robmills.com.au
Hero image and images 1-3 below by Shannon McGrath. Images 4 and 5 by Tim James.
