Kitchener Residence, Victoria, Australia

Gerard Kitchener is like talking about the weather, particularly in Waratah Bay is located in south-eastern Victoria, Australia. But this is no ordinary weather it provides the omitted information can dish up this steep hill. Think horizontal rain, frequent episodes of lightning, gale force sufficient to dislodge the car doors and blow the dogs again, and hailstones as big as walnuts.

Gerard and his partner Denise spend the weekend on top of a hill in an exposed steel and two-level glass tower on stilts, read newspapers and enjoy the fine wines they love. There is no crouching on the ground for these two. “You’d be crazy to live here,” admits Gerard with a smile.

Regarding containers to live, is a well-prepared to cope with all weather conditions. It is a triumph, according to Gerard, the design environment. Something of an inventor, he sees to overcome extreme weather in Australia as an obstacle: He recently patented a system for storing wine, particularly in the tropical humidity and heat that can provide ovenlike Australia battle developed . “This house was a similar movement. We worked very hard to make the system storage of wine, we love our wine so we worked on a special radiator through with excess moisture. This house was a similar challenge. We learned a lot about ourselves and how a good design you can live well in an extreme climate. ”

The couple owned a vacation home in the classic region, but a few years ago they came in enough money to buy a piece of land on the highest point in the neighborhood. Standing on the roof of her car, she put the views of their future home a pan to 360 degrees, which occur in the rough sea on three sides and the middle in the distance would be a virgin forest.

Serendipity brought her to Melbourne architect Daniel Holan, they clicked immediately. “We worked a book on Australian architect Glenn Murcutt inspired, and the woman in the bookstore, we proposed to Daniel if this is the kind of things we needed. It turns out it was an old friend of his, “recalls Gerald.

During the initial meetings and site visits, Holan sketched a design that presented a flag of sleep linked by a spiral staircase with a living room and kitchen area level. To access this view highly anticipated, the house was perched on steel legs above the water tanks, shelter and laundry. “We have Daniel, we wanted a view from every corner of the house, including bathrooms and even shower,” says Denise.

These views are immediately recognizable in the light area of life, while in the rooms, which are enclosed by walls covered with corrugated metal on the outside, they will be seen only by narrow vertical windows. Solid blinds offer a good night sleep.
Across the beam materials Holan cost amount, such as steel and corrugated iron, which could be prefabricated off site, the trucks at that location, distance, and quickly built with the help of a crane. “The steel elements were precisely cut out site, and a provisional assembly was tested at the factory,” he said. “The entire structure was then assembled and bolted together like a giant Meccano set and a half day on the site. ”

Four I-beams form the building sophisticated exoskeleton. I-beams are placed at the center on all four sides of the house, where the corners are free of structural elements. Holan untied the corners even with the introduction of the butt glazing of the living room and bedroom. As all this slide steel and glass, giving translucent white thermoplastic housing of the 21 century taste, walls stairs and water tanks.

generous glazing on the top floor, the hotel offers character observation tower. Holan system from a special window of Germany at home howling winds and sealed against heat loss. said: “It may be stormy and calm and warm here, Gerard. “This double glazing have been designed to withstand the European winter, and they work well here.”

The upper house, a pair of skillion roofs in counterpoint and a plume arranged for the near Wilsons Promontory National Park, the other captures the pasture hills of the hinterland. Rainwater is collected from these two roofs, running in a groove in the middle and down pipes in the tanks below. The garden is maintained with water from a dam on the property. Household waste is treated in a unit on-site septic.

The house is connected to a local food limited, so much energy to undermining the devices are minimized. There is no plug-in automatic air conditioning, the windows are tight and take control down solar blind and lost, while strips of glass and ceiling fans help air circulation during summer. It would be cool 45 degrees outside even a slight 74 to the interior.

Customers are delighted with their unusual living is now a national identity for his role in a TV commercial, but as the locals do? “The local newspaper called us a blight the landscape,” said Gerard, with more of a satisfaction index.