The immense beauty of Australia’s sprawling coastline has long acted as an ineffable source of inspiration for designers seeking to capture the powerful allure of the natural environment. Blessed with an enviable location, the Mornington Peninsula project by Glenvill Homes is a contemporary coastal retreat that represents an exciting architectural direction for the Melbourne-based design and build company.
Presented with what can only be described as a dream canvas and tasked with following an evolving brief for clients looking to build a weather-resistant holiday home, the design and construction of the Mornington Peninsula residence was a refined collaborative process. Working in partnership with Jack Merlo for the landscape architecture and with Melbourne design firm Travis Walton contributing the kitchen and interior design, Glenvill Homes relished the opportunity to develop a home truly worthy of its extraordinary location. “While Glenvill Homes itself may be traditionally known for a more classic style design, we are under new leadership, taking a new direction, always growing and pushing our creative boundaries. We have the years of experience but also the creative and collaborative drive to continue to lead and succeed in designing and building unique, beautiful homes throughout Victoria,” says Glenvill Homes architect Anthony Gosling.
“We have the years of experience but also the creative and collaborative drive to continue to lead and succeed in designing and building unique, beautiful homes throughout Victoria.”
The challenge for any designer or builder attempting to construct a home within the harsh conditions of the Australian coastline lies in the very essence of the environment itself. “While the site is one of the most outstanding on the Mornington Peninsula, the exposed nature of it presented challenges,” he says. “The lack of depth of the site meant that the proximity to the water and the rock sea wall of the house was something that was crucial, but that final distance was unknown for some time.”
Calling on over six decades of design and build experience, the knowledgeable Glenvill Homes team were able to overcome these environmental challenges to create a home of strength and substance that capitalises on its prime location. Architecturally speaking, the strength of the house is provided by two rammed earth walls that create a ‘backbone’ to the space and against which the high ceilings, glazed walls of the living rooms, outdoor courtyard and pool are set.
Working in partnership with Jack Merlo for the landscape architecture and with Melbourne design firm Travis Walton contributing the kitchen and interior design, Glenvill Homes relished the opportunity to develop a home truly worthy of its extraordinary location.
Ultimately, the challenging nature of the site and the ever-evolving design brief meant Glenvill Homes team members from numerous departments were heavily involved in the end-to-end service and final delivery of the home. “The best houses and solutions are often the ones that test the entire team,” Anthony reflects, “but with experience, knowledge and such a strong sense of teamwork behind us we knew that this was achievable and a home for Glenvill to be proud of.”
Through careful collaborative consideration, Glenvill Homes has created a contemporary coastal retreat that pays testament to the beautiful natural surrounds of the site. The resulting home is one which provides the clients with the functional escape that was their hearts’ desire.
Words: James Lyall Smith
Photography: Timothy Kaye
Styling: Karin Bochnik
Interior Design: Travis Walton
Build: Glenvill Homes
Landscape: Jack Merlo