A Place to Reconnect – Nesci House by Architecture by Us

A robust country home that also serves as an intimate oasis tailored to family living, Nesci House sees Architecture by Us work with the topography of the land to nourish an invigorating rural retreat. Contrasting raw materials with luxe furnishings, the home balances rustic and refined in equal measure.

The Nesci family wanted a country residence that could serve as both a home for the immediate family as well as a space to welcome extended family and friends – a place to reconnect with family and the land. To create this reality, Architecture by Us took cues from the landscape to develop a series of spaces that can be opened fully or divided on occasion to encourage more intimate living. Such spaces include a series of interconnecting pavilions that are zoned to provide separate sleeping quarters, as well as various outdoor enclaves.

When designing the layout of the house, Architecture by Us set out to work with the topography of the land, rather than against it.

Key to the dwelling’s striking architectural presence is its considered relationship to the surrounding rural landscape. When designing the layout of the house, Architecture by Us set out to work with the topography of the land, rather than against it. The result is a home that does not take away or overwhelm the landscape on which it sits, but instead attempts to attend to and blend into it. This is achieved foremost through subtle level changes that allow the building to nestle into the existing terrain.

Spatial design choices were also crucial in informing the home’s interconnectedness to the outdoors. An open plan works alongside glazed panelling, offering visual connections from indoors to the outdoors, capturing panoramic views over vineyards and sprawling farmland. The series of pavilions into which the residence is fragmented are linked with glazed catwalks, framing a centrally protected courtyard. The courtyard allows inhabitants to immerse in the elements while remaining protected from prevailing coastal winds and sea spray.

The use of raw materials that echo the home’s rural location are thoughtfully offset by luxe furnishings.

Yet, the residence maintains a synchronously rustic, luxurious feel. The use of raw materials that echo the home’s rural location are thoughtfully offset by luxe furnishings. The exterior is made from rammed earth, matte dark metal panelling and recycled timbers. Interior materials complement the subdued exterior palette with dark-stained timber wall and ceiling panelling, playing off the lighter tones of the rammed earth. The luxurious elements of the home are found in the refined, minimalist choice of furnishings and the use of high-end fixtures and fittings in all of the bathroom suites.

Nesci House thus exists as part of the landscape it inhabits. The effortlessly refined, luxurious feel that the home maintains cultivates a special place; one that serves as an immersive rural oasis as well as a retreat where immediate and extended family can comfortably escape from city life and take time to reconnect.