Gunaikurnai
Victoria
This is a special project, designed to unite family over many generations whilst celebrating neurodiverse needs.
Barkhill Farmhouse is designed for three generations of family to come together and to provide a variety of spaces that allow for all family members to enjoy the home. The flexible living spaces allow there to always be a quiet space, a loud space and dispersed sleeping quarters.
The form of the building is two extruded gable-shaped volumes, one public, one private, designed to intersect with one another with the overlapping section becoming the meeting space. Where the extrusions intersect the portal creates a new entry to the home, protected by ironbark slats from the northerly sun, with an opening that folds out from the battens to create a sheltered entry. The two extrusions are used to frame views to Lake Victoria. The steel portal frame creates a rhythm of ribs through the interior.
This project is one of love within our family, we wanted a design that allowed our growing families to co-exist and the beautiful blended nature of this design allows the home to be flexible in the way it performs for our family.
Working through a project like this as a family has also shown each other a little window into our work lives and helped bring our family closer.