A Linear Approach – Yal Yal Road by Intermode
Linear and long as it engages with its site, Yal Yal Road is a private retreat for its winemaker owners, openly conversing with its surrounds. Intermode proposes a rustic and texturally rich approach to navigate the terrain, using clean lines to reinforce a sense of openness and connection beyond the home.
Located in Merricks along the Mornington Peninsula, Yal Yal Road is a removed residence with a twist. The shared roof structure houses both a home and a cellar door; separated by an open portal, the private and public are neatly delineated on approach, both engaging with the surrounding site, while suitably divided in both outlook and separation. Connecting to the vineyard it serves, the linear form mimics the rowed nature of the vines themselves, endowing each space with an uninterrupted view of the landscape and beyond. As both a place to entertain and to retreat, the home has a number of unique functions, however, remains connected to its roots through an earthy and richly dark selection of encasing materials. By laying low to the site, Intermode hugs the earth formally, minimising the overall impact to the landscape.
As a collaboration between builder VCON and Stephen McMurray Landscape Design, Yal Yal Road was built in record time and, through its focus on the creation of crisp edges, the resulting home has an ingrained sense of permanence. Approached from a descending terrain, stepped terraces subtly grade the landscape and provide decking towards the home’s entrance. An open relief in the long form signals the entry and frames views of the hills on the other side. Stretching east to west along the site, glazed openings in the long structure offer views to both the north and the south, allowing for natural ventilation and sunlight.
The four-bedroom home consists of two separate living spaces and a shared kitchen and dining space, allowing the home to feel generous and considered. The immediate and surrounding garden is curated to feel like a natural extension of the native species already found in place, while also offering an element of structure and blurring the hard lines of the form. The generous decking wraps around the building, acting as a spill over from the internal rooms and giving multiple opportunities to entertain outdoors. The sculptural timber pergola element reinforces framed views and the linear nature of the architecture, standing rustic in its resolve. Internally, a burnished concrete floor adds a robust element underfoot while an open wood fireplace excites the senses when in use.
Combining work and life, Yal Yal Road proposes a fused vernacular that sees Intermode carefully respond to the enviable landscape, firmly embedding a connected meaning between architecture and place.
