Two Sheds house – Victoria

Two Sheds is located on 25 acres of bush in the hills immediately to the west of the coastal township Lorne, Victoria, Australia. It is a retreat allowing the clients to disconnect from the world of city, noise, and work as they come together to reconnect and begin a 30-year project to rejuvenate the surrounding bushland.
Designed by DREAMER + Roger Nelson the project uses a minimal material palette and a simple design language drawing from local cottages, agricultural buildings, and local vernacular. It provides a backdrop for cherished family experiences as the inhabitants slow down, notice and engage with the simple joys of living.
Views to the hills and beach, privacy, and constructability had been carefully balanced in siting of the previous design. In addition, the clients and design team wanted to avoid any further time spent in town-planning and the original location was kept. Two almost identical but mirrored gable-roofed timber-lined sheds, compose the public and private zones of the house, with the timber externally charred and raw within.
The forms are separate but remain connected internally via a glazed gallery and externally via a terrace and path. They align with existing contours and are consequently cranked to face away from each other, increasing privacy to sleeping shed and bedrooms.
The social/living shed is an open space occupied by a dark central box which creates two spaces at either end of the shed forming the kitchen/meal areas and living/lounge.
A loose court is present on the hillside of the house, created by the retaining wall, main house, and carport/future bungalow. This space has been left open to change as the family’s needs to grow in the future.