glazed walkways ties minimalistic farmhouse to rural victoria

Pipkorn Kilpatrick’s minimalistic House in victoria, Australia

Overlooking the Hopkins river in rural Victoria, Australia, ‘Allansford House’ is a minimalistic dwelling that seeks a strong connection to its surroundings. When the Melbourne and Sydney-based designer Pipkorn Kilpatrick joined the project, Pickering Design had already completed the architectural shell. Their main focus then was the interconnection between the interiors, the surroundings, and the existing sandstone stables, as well as to accentuate its raw beauty inside and out.

The client’s brief was for a farmhouse that was functional and free of excess and still imbued with sophisticated and industrial touches. The main challenge for the team was to create visual escapes in each room, including the laundry, fostering a direct bond with nature, animals, and the river. To achieve this, the designers tied the interior to the exceptional setting with floor-to-ceiling glazed walkways, thus letting the landscape spill into the domestic enviroment. all images ©CMcConville

practicality meets elegance

The dwelling can adjust to the residents’ needs and status, with the kid’s zone becoming smaller as they grow up. Furthermore, the presence of a mud room next to the main door allows the residents to enter the house, leaving their outdoor clothing and soiled shoes behind. The house accommodates a well-equipped kitchen with a generous pantry and appliance storage tucked behind, fostering cooking for big groups of people. The open connection between the pantry and the kitchen creates a sense of space, preventing the person inside from feeling cut off from the main entertaining action.

By keeping the finishes palette solid and minimalist with concrete tilt panels for the walls and wide timber boards on the floors, the architects maintained a raw industrial flair that adds to its fresh yet warm character. Full-height internal timber doors complement the walls and emphasize the panoramas. Set against the concrete walls, custom brass, and copper tapware with exposed pipes and waste traps enhance the industrial charm.

‘The palette acts as the perfect backdrop for our client’s incredible art collection, and every window frames a different view, from the crowns of Eucalypt trees, the river, rolling hills, and the established deciduous trees that surrounded an earlier house to the east,’ shares the team.

The exterior palette creates a unified connection to the interior, with exposed concrete walls, wood-paneled eaves, and a bridge revealing a sneak peek inside. A wall of sandstone (sourced from the surrounding area) forms the South Eastern wall of the main house, tying in and paying homage to the existing stables. To balance and blend the use of external materials, the sandstone wall wraps around a sheltered courtyard facing the kids wing to the East. The remains of an original fireplace form another outdoor area to the North, positioned to be in visual communication with most of the rooms.

a glazed corridor connects the interior to its unique setting