Sweetwater House / Jackson Clements Burrows Architects

Located in Frankston South on Bunurong Country and backing onto the regionally significant Narringalling (Sweetwater Creek), Sweetwater House provides flexibility and respite for a maturing family. Designed and built during Melbourne’s extended COVID lockdowns, the home reflects an inventive response to low-cost, multi-generational, and sustainable living while also telling a story of personal and ecological renewal. Our ambition was to create a materially honest and highly sustainable home for our family of four. We developed a plan arrangement that could adapt to the changing needs of two teenage children and allow for multi-generational living and visits from family interstate. Parent and children’s bedrooms are located at separate ends of the house, each with generous garden views, while a series of four, two and one metre spatial arrangements create ‘zones’ that encourage different modes of occupation.