Brent Knoll by March Studio - Detached Additional House Design

Brent Knoll by March Studio – Detached Additional House Design

Brent Knoll by March Studio

‘Brent Knoll’ is a detached house built by March Studio in outskirts of Malmsbury. The resultant became a celebration of both old and new, follow the farm typology with distributed structures connected by the outdoors and exposure to the elements. The house is aimed as gathering places to escape and repose in the late afternoon.

The solution was to weave the new building through the site; twisting and turning where necessary, to create a variety of different internal and external environments. It is a modest sized addition at 230 sqm, however the resultant design provides a total of four bedrooms, two living spaces, three bathrooms, kitchen and dining; whilst outside, four new types of outdoor space are added to the existing two.

Brent Knol interior by March Studio

Extending a 150 year-old Cypress hedge, the gesture became a shield from the prevailing Southern weather allowing a protected Northern lawn with views down to the valley. The ‘L’ shaped plan of the homestead was referenced to generate a form that, while not simply mirroring the existing building, does suggest a rotational symmetry. A secluded courtyard between the two buildings is another type of space created, shaded by the homestead and ideal for the hotter months of the year.

modest bedroom design Brent Knoll by March Studio

The clients expressed a desire for large expanses of glass; hence the living spaces are housed in a double glazed box veiled by a folded roof carefully manipulated by sun angles. The results of the undulating roof are spaces which soar above the valley at one end whilst plunging into the ground at the other.

The interior of the project is characterized by the contrasting of these spaces, and the materials in which they are finished, at times seemingly at odds with the restrained material palette of the exterior. Internal materials and finishes, such as the pressed metal, concrete block work encrusted with resin and recycled antique advertising signs although somewhat ornate, are used in a natural unglorified state. Avoiding a sterile environment of glass and concrete, the rawness of these materials offer a warm, playful interior executed with minimal detail and fuss.
Architects: March Studio
House in: Malmsbury, Australia