Carrickalinga Shed by Architects Ink

Many architects use the shed vernacular as inspiration for a country homestead. However, the idea of a Victorian-style timber house, with an open verandah, would certainly not be appropriate for this site, a hobby farm designed for a couple as their permanent home and poised 350 metres above the Pacific Ocean. Hence, timber was replaced with robust corrugated steel and the exterior walls as well as the internal canopy were constructed in black-stained timber, framing the native coastal garden designed by Landskap. “It’s more a cloistered arrangement with a series of enfilades, both inside and out, allowing for views across the coast as much as through the house,” says architect Mladen Zujic, a director of Architects Ink who, with his colleagues, took out numerous awards from the Australian Institute of Architects (South Australian Chapter).

When talking about this new house, like a square doughnut but considerably more complex, Zujic points out a painting by Emanuel De Witte, circa 1665, which represents the golden age of Dutch art. There’s a woman seated at a piano with apertures along the corridor offering glimpses of activity beyond, such as a woman preparing food in the kitchen. While there aren’t the usual ornate period architraves and architectural embellishments of a 17th century Dutch villa, there are glimpses through the more contemporary floor plan – with large steel doors on all four sides allowing the house to be closed down should a fire threaten. “As with Dutch homes of that period, the rooms were designed to be flexible. A space could be used for the playing the piano or as another musical instrument, for example, but it could equally be used as a room for guests or for another living area,” says Zujic, who separated many of the rooms with swing doors rather than the heavy timber beams that loosely articulate each space depicted in the De Witte painting.

With the client’s large extended family, the brief given to Architects Ink included generous areas for entertaining (the dining area can easily accommodate up to 20 people). There’s also an indoor/outdoor room that’s located between the kitchen on one side of the northern wing and a living area on the other. One of the owners also provides cooking classes from the house – hence the kitchen, with its large pantry and butler’s kitchen, is extensive and, importantly, functional. So, there are stainless steel benches that can easily be wiped down, stainless steel trolleys that can be moved around the kitchen and extensive tiled walls. Concrete floors and a wood burning fireplace ensure the floors act as a thermal mass, particularly during the colder months of the year. Other rooms were designed to allow the owners to work from home, with an office that can enjoy both views of the coast and the garden. And as with many Roman-style homes, those visiting for business don’t need to walk through the entire house.

Given there can be winds up to 220 kilometres an hour, the notion of a Romantic-style weekender framed by cottage gardens would simply not have been appropriate. And while it’s a relatively large house, approximately 340 square metres in area and containing four bedrooms (including the main bedroom suite), there’s also a sense of intimacy immediately upon arrival. But unlike many contemporary homes, the place is layered with some of the family heirlooms, many of which would sit comfortably in a grand period European villa, and in this case, a library that allows some reprieve when the howling winds come calling.

See more of Architects Ink's work on their website and Instagram. Words by Stephen Crafti. Images by Thurston Empson.