Perched on a hill edge in Yackandandah, Australia, ‘Sawmill house’ by Melbourne-based studio- Archier explores the possibility of reusing discarded concrete that goes to waste each year. Sawmill House is a hand crafted upgrade from his existing rather rustic bohemian abode. Designed for a young family of three, the linear, open-plan interiors is wrapped in timber and complemented with a brass wall that discretely hides storage and utility space. Comprised of 270 one ton concrete blocks, Sawmill House explores the possibility of positively leveraging the thousands of tons of concrete that goes to waste each year. This design / build approach allowed us to move away from conventional solutions and investigate highly bespoke yet cost effective alternatives.
Large operable veranda, screens and doors transform the space to suit various climatic and social conditions, which is crucial to our family who must operate in a diverse and sometimes extreme climate, and direct our home through a spectrum of private retreat to communal hub. Importantly, the civic nature of the design allows the building to function as a design office with a fantastic aspect. The master bedroom has been integrated with a private courtyard on the east end of the property, as for the communal spaces, the timber shuttering opens fully to reveal a decked veranda. Working together with the client, the structure utilized 270 one-tonne concrete blocks to craft the perimeter walls of the horizontal, flat-roofed property. Resulting in the varying of textures across the façades, the material choice reflects the sedimentary layers of earth still seen from the site’s previous programs. [photography by benjamin hosking]
