The Artedomus Journey Series
Located in South Yarra, Hawksburn House by Lande Architects is a family home that draws inspiration from Melbourne’s heritage, completed with timeless materials from Artedomus.
Lachlan McArdle, director at Lande Architects, sought to create an enduring family home on a unique corner site in South Yarra. “Hawksburn House is my own house for me and my family,” he says. “We’re going to see behind the scenes into all the decisions, selections, specifications, collaborations and methods that go into designing a family home.” The decision was spurred by their desire for a space to grow into, especially with the possibility of expanding their family. After coming across a site in their favourite part of South Yarra, McArdle and his family purchased the land and set about creating their ideal home.
The original building on the property, a double-fronted timber-block cottage, was something McArdle initially hoped to preserve. However, due to the triangular nature of the block and the constraints of the existing structure, it soon became apparent that it would not be feasible to retain the building. “In this case, it was better to remove it, as much as that hurt in some ways, but it gave us a really good site to work with,” he explains. The design was then reconfigured to suit the site’s unique conditions, allowing for a more spacious and functional family home.
Lande Architects approached the project with a focus on creating a home that would encompass the family’s needs over time. “We really want that home sanctuary to be somewhere that we can all come together, but then also find our own spaces within the house,” he notes. The design is futureproofed to accommodate the growing family, taking into account the changing dynamics as children grow and new needs arise.
A key element of Hawksburn House’s design is the thoughtful use of natural materials, a hallmark of McArdle’s work at Lande Architects. “We really enjoy working with natural stones. The tactility of them, the unique characteristics to each piece of stone is a really great catalyst often for the project.” Artedomus played a pivotal role in the material selection due to their longstanding, trusting relationship with the architects. “It was a pretty natural selection to go to Artedomus and start talking to them from the very start.” The partnership allowed the team to source high-quality, timeless materials that would add both beauty and longevity to the project.
“We’ve been working with Artedomus as a base point for a lot of those hard tactile surfaces to touch and interact with, such as the stone bench tops and vanities in bathrooms, the kitchen, the laundry and the pantry,” he says. “We really started with a base of either stone and/or tiles, and then we’ve used them as a reference point when choosing the other ancillary surfaces around them.”
For external materials, they went with handmade bricks from Krause, which were selected for their unique texture and character. To complement the bricks, McArdle sought a flooring material that could transition from indoors to out. After consulting with Artedomus, McArdle selected the Manetti tobacco terracotta tiles, which add warmth and texture to the design.
The beauty of the Artedomus products is their ability to age gracefully over time. “We like the longevity you get out of these products,” he says. “They’re going to last for generations in a lot of cases, and they’re going to patina and show their age – but we can’t wait for that to happen. We just think that that tells a story and shows character.”
McArdle is eager to see how these carefully chosen materials will shape the final experience of the home. “What’s coming next in the project’s going to be really exciting as some of these materials that we’ve selected and worked with and had on our desks make their way into the project,” he says.
