Hi, I'm John Marr. This is my family home. The original home that we lived in, we loved. It was a
1970s merchant builder home and it had an amazing internal courtyard garden which we loved. It had
some exposed brick which we loved and really we wanted a grown-up version of that home.
Inform were one of the only builders that were able to really understand the way our family
functioned and design a home that really benefited the site and its natural attributes. At Pleysier
Perkins our belief is that a good project can only be realised through a good collaboration
between client, architect and builder and the process that we've developed with Inform
is an excellent example of how that works, whereby project manager representing Inform, design
architect from Pleysier Perkins and client working together from the very first briefing meeting,
right through the project. It provides the opportunity to bring the intellect of builders,
detailers, estimators as well as design architects together at the drawing board
in the design table very early in the process. It allows momentum to be maintained and produces
the best outcome. The objective of the home was to create and embody simplicity and lightness.
The house sets about by creating a series of dynamic spaces, brought to life through the use of
natural materials and this intimate connection to the garden.
To the south of the site, we find this two-story brick form which contains the bedrooms, the lounge
and the study, whilst this lightweight timber and glass structure wraps around this brick form
and contains the kitchen, meals and living across the rear of the property,
looking out onto the pool and entertaining areas.
The design of the home explores a theory of prospect and refuge, which essentially argues that
humans have a tendency to prefer environments both with unobstructed views and areas of concealment
and retreat. So it then became about finding a balance between these two notions in the design.
The masonry form provides these areas of seclusion and intimacy with this theory then amplified
through the selection of materials. The furniture, lighting, textures and colours helping to focus
the attention inwards. The lounge which I believe is now affectionately referred to by the family
as the blue room has this cave-like quality. It's always been a design principle allow us to
include timeless, robust materials. This house has a purity of form and a sense of solidity.
The classic cubic form of the main two-story element, we wanted to feel grounded in its
place. Utilising masonry bricks helped to convey this sense of weight. We specified reclaimed
brick not only for sustainable reasons but to help break down the scale of the overall mass
and when painted white provide a subtle, textured backdrop from the surrounding vegetation.
The brick form was then further articulated by the double height,
perforated brick pattern seen on the front facade, assisting with privacy
from the street to the bedrooms ,which offers filtered views to the garden and nearby trees.
Relationship with the house and garden was really integral to the success of this building.
One of my favourite spots is on a Friday night we have steak night.
We stand outside in front of the open fireplace that we've got and cook a steak on the coals.
Another favourite part of the house for the family is the formal lounge; the blue room. In winter
particularly when we light the fire and you look out that window and looking at the water in the
pond and the lily pads, it makes me realise, well we built this house to bring us all together and
create these really intimate moments in this beautiful home and that's why we're so grateful
to Inform and Pleysier Perkins for designing this magnificent property for the family.
Obviously a lot of our time, we're looking at drawings, we're looking at three-dimensional
models, computer-generated models, we're talking to clients about abstract ideas. It's always very
rewarding to visit a house a few years after it's been completed and our clients have moved
in and made a home. At the end of the day it's about great family life and a good lifestyle.
When we first put the projection up of a movie on the facade before long we had people in the
neighbourhood all standing on the nature strip watching the AFL grand final. They're all sort
of getting excited about the next big event in the street where we can sit out in the street
and enjoy a drink. As architects we provide a sort of blank canvas I believe, a bit of a backdrop for
life. When our clients come and add their own influence to the canvas, it's very rewarding.