A Black-Gabled Bush Retreat Celebrates the Australian Shed

Australian architect Roger Nelson spent almost a decade designing a home for his family in Lorne before teaming up with DREAMER to reimagine his vision as a rural retreat.

Jul 14, 2020 - 23:51

A Black-Gabled Bush Retreat Celebrates the Australian Shed

Australian architect Roger Nelson spent almost a decade designing a home for his family in Lorne before teaming up with DREAMER to reimagine his vision as a rural retreat.

The verandas provide a threshold between the internal and external spaces.

When Australian architect Roger Nelson and his wife, Jane, decided to build a home in the bush to escape their busy life in the city of Melbourne, they initially planned to build a permanent home. They began work on the design, but by the time they secured a planning permit eight years later, their needs and wants had shifted.

"We made the decision to keep going, rather than lose the permit," says Roger. "But, we now wanted to build a retreat instead of a permanent residence. We wanted to keep it simple, use natural products, and for it to be fluid, private, and beautiful."

The home was designed as a retreat for architect Roger Nelson and his wife Jane, a teacher of yoga. "We were very involved in the process, as once the ‘building documentation’ was complete we administered the project," says Roger. "It’s a space for us to unwind and relax alone or with family and friends." Ironbark timber was selected for the exterior cladding due to its high BAL (Bushfire Attack Level) rating.

Rory Gardiner

They also realized that Roger didn’t have the time or the right scale of work at NH Architecture—which specializes in complex public and mixed-use projects—to realize the reimagined project. So, they decided to work with Ben Shields, founder of architecture studio DREAMER, to reimagine the project as a holiday retreat. "We were looking for a young architect who would bring a new interpretation to our thoughts and would work together with us and take the work we had done into reality," says Roger.

The site is just west of the coastal town of Lorne, a two-hour drive from Melbourne. "When we first visited, what we saw excited us," says Roger. "There was space, privacy, views, and a town—plus 25 acres of bush full of wildlife. Koalas greeted us and kangaroos hopped past—we were sold."

"We wanted to make a feature of the large gable roofs," says architect Ben Shields. "A family home in Nagasaki by Matsuyama Architect and Associates was inspirational in that regard—it has a completely featureless gable roof that is the key design feature externally."

Rory Gardiner

The new brief was developed around a desire for retreat and escape, as well as a functional need for clearly developed zones and the ability for the home to work equally well for two or seven people. "Jane and Roger were very keen to have a great connection to the outdoors and wanted to be able to walk out onto grassed glades from most parts of the house," says Shields.