Respite & Retreat – Wallis Lake House by Matthew Woodward Architecture
Perched over the lake of the same name, Wallis Lake House by Matthew Woodward Architecture is an expression of contrasts, combining a linear formality with a relaxed and textural outlook.
In its enviable location overlooking rolling hills and a green lush landscape, Wallis Lake House is an optimally perched replenishing abode. The contrasts inherent in the use of materiality and the further juxtaposition of the defined and linear form in such an organic and tumbling landscape is a statement in itself. Almost bunker-like in its approach, the formality of the occasional home is broken down through punctuations, bringing deliberate relief in the façade to carve out curated vistas and opportunities for cross-ventilation to occur. Matthew Woodward Architecture brings a sense of engagement and appreciation for the site, and the resulting home echoes this curiosity.
Built by PCM Projects, Wallis Lake House is designed to deliver a sense of impact. Its positioning overlooking an incredible and expansive outlook is optimised through the intentional openings and connection to the site, both near and afar. Through the engaged collaboration with Pangkarra Garden Design for the landscape design, the threshold between architecture and nature is deliberately softened. The wispy waving grasses add a sense of dynamism through their consistent movement, reacting to the elements, while other overhanging lush elements sit on varying levels, combining the natural with the built.
With views toward to the lake, often pink from the sunset and the salt spray from across the Booti Booti National Park, the design engages with the elements. In response, the home is robust. The concrete base shell offers an element of protection, together with a sense of privacy for its owners. The use of timber adds a softness, offering texture and warmth, allowing light to filter through. The combination of these two core materials create an engaging and considered home, where soft natural drapery offers additional contrast to the formal arrangement of the volumes on site.
Designed as a gathering place, Wallis Lake House expresses its own personality through the design’s curiosity and playfulness. The home becomes the backdrop for the human experience to fully engage with the surrounding environment, connecting to the sights, sounds and smells of nature.
