Hermitage House
With Eco Outdoor limestone bricks as a foundational material, JAK Architecture dramatically transformed a 1960s residence in Geelong, Victoria, with minimal intervention.
When it came to rethinking a four-bedroom family home in Geelong, Victoria, Jackson Wylie, director of JAK Architecture, approached the project with an eye carefully trained on restraint, sustainability and respect for the original structure.
“What I’m most proud of is that 95 per cent of the building still stands,” he says. “We found a way to reuse, repurpose and avoid the existing materials ending up in landfill.” The new materiality is led by a meticulous curation of Eco Outdoor Meda limestone bricks, which were central to the transformation.
Built in 1967, the residence had undergone a previous renovation that left it, in Wylie’s words, “quite boxy and harsh”. Rather than starting from scratch, he focused on softening the facade, strengthening the connection to the garden and creating a more dynamic layout for a couple whose four adult children regularly return home over the summer.
The Meda bricks were utilised for the external cladding, an internal feature wall, bespoke outdoor bench seat and fireplace, creating a deep sense of continuity between inside to out. “We were looking for a product that could transform the exterior of the building and give it new life,” he says. “Our goal in doing so was minimal intervention with maximal impact.”
With a pale-grey hue and elongated shape, Meda bricks create a sense of linearity and cohesion, while also being robust enough to withstand the harsh coastal conditions. “We wanted a material that’s lasting and durable and also, at the same time, has a little texture and tone,” says Wylie. Rather than appearing as a monolithic structure, subtle variations between each brick add movement and tactility. “When the sun hits the bricks in the morning, you see shadows, you see softness.”
At the home’s entrance, the bricks are aligned vertically along a gently curved wall, drawing visitors towards the front door and diffusing the boxiness of the original building. “We wanted to accentuate the entry points and soften some of the harsher aspects of the existing dwelling.” The bricks’ slim profile allows the facade to remain simple and cohesive rather than overly detailed. “We don’t need it to be a multi-featured house. We want it to be textured, soft, but consistent.”
Wylie created a seamless continuity in the look and feel of materials by choosing Sarelle crazy paving, crafted from the same warm, grey limestone as the bricks, its organic shapes offering a striking contrast to the latter’s geometry. Sarelle appears extensively across the outdoor areas and landscaping, including in the alfresco dining zone that connects directly to the open-plan living room and kitchen through expansive glass doors. “Its random shapes and sizes create movement,” says the architect.
This material continuity plays a key role in dissolving boundaries. “Part of the client’s brief was breaking the barrier between inside and out. The colour is consistent and complimentary to the Meda facings, and we thought it was a really suitable solution to help break down the distinctions between inside and out.”
Ultimately, Hermitage House was designed with longevity front of mind. “By using robust limestone finishes, we’re able to create an extra layer of defence that this building is guaranteed to persevere well into the future,” says Wylie. The project demonstrates how thoughtful design and careful material choices can breathe new life into an existing home.
