A Sustainably Sensible Response – Long House by Clare Cousins

Maximising its northern exposure, Long House sprawls length-ways along its abundant encompassing landscape and deliberately connects the built with the natural. Clare Cousins Architects has imagined a home that both sustainably performs and combines refinement and sensitivity within its contemporary comprising parts.

Located in Melbourne’s east, in enviably close proximity to Gardiners Creek, Long House actively engages with its site and is a proposition for contemporary, suburban and sustainable family living. Home to its small family of four, the architecture demonstrates an acute awareness of its surroundings and a want to directly embrace and engage them. Stretching the length of the site, each internal space has access to both solar and visual connections to the lushly abundant landscape, designed by Eckersleys Garden Architecture, that embraces the home. Sitting at the end of a cul-de-sac, the home is adjacent Gardiners Creek proper and takes cues from its natural setting, as its materiality speaks to a textured and muted natural approach. Clare Cousins combines principles for longevity and sustainable performance with a refined and comfort -driven contemporary response.

Built by CBD Contracting, the lightness of approach is extended to the interaction with the site as well as the architecture. The landscaping, while formal in its bordering of the structure of the home, it then blends naturally into the site and into the creek beyond. The orientation and decision to elongate the floor plan shows additional sensitivity to the site and, in the process, eliminates the traditional formality of a typical suburban residential condition. Instead, each room, regardless of use and function, engages with the landscape and benefits from solar heat gain and natural illumination. The program within the home is also designed to be dynamic, to suit the home’s young family as it grows.

Clare Cousins Architects has imagined a home that both sustainably performs and combines refinement and sensitivity within its contemporary comprising parts.

At 33 meters long, the coming together of one form on a sloping and undulating site creates a level of contrast of the built with the natural, and the stepped landscape provides the fall that the home naturally follows to minimise impact. With a physical footprint intentionally small, the associated carbon footprint also is matched in slightness and reflects the owners and their respective professions within the energy innovation and construction industries. Through a series of holistic principles where planning, solar control and reduced emissions are inherent, passive systems of natural ventilation the decommissioning of gas (as a fossil fuel) on site make a statement to the home’s future impact. The long and linear sloping roof structure is capitalised for its solar energy gains, with the inclusion of an electric heat pump for hydronic and hot water, together with car charging facilities within the garage.

Imagined as a home of relevance for now, and one well intentioned to sustain itself into its future, Long House naturally and subtly shows the beauty in restraint. Clare Cousins has extracted cues from the home’s surroundings to respond with a welcomed sensitivity and create a contemporary home that intelligently engages and embraces its site.

Located in Melbourne’s east, in enviably close proximity to Gardiners Creek, Long House actively engages with its site and is a proposition for contemporary, suburban and sustainable family living.

Imagined as a home of relevance for now, and one well intentioned to sustain itself into its future, Long House naturally and subtly shows the beauty in restraint.