Architect designs a striking bushfire-proof home made from galvanised steel – complete with 180 degree views of the ocean and a four-sided fireplace
- The striking Cumulus House is built in bushfire-ravaged surroundings in Victoria near the Great Ocean Road
- Situated 100m above sea level, the home has 180-degree views of the valley and ocean below
- The design infuses post-war Californian modernism with the Australian fibro beach house
- The 173sqm property features three bedrooms, two bathrooms and is made from galvanised steel
- Architect Chris Connell described the home as a ‘canvas’ to avoid drawing attention away from the land
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A striking property made from galvanised steel has been inspired by its bushfire-ravaged surroundings near the stunning Great Ocean Road in Victoria.
The property was built in the ‘vulnerable’ fire zone following the 2015 Christmas Day bushfires, and it is perched 100m above sea level at the top of a ridge in Wye River.
Architect Chris Connell told Daily Mail Australia the design was inspired by the modernist movement in architecture, and it seeks to fuse the traditional Australian fibro beach shack with post-WW1 Californian modernism.
A striking property named Cumulus House is made from galvanised steel has been built and inspired by its bushfire-ravaged surroundings in Victoria near the Great Ocean Road
The property sits among the ‘vulnerable’ flame zone perched 100m above sea level at the top of a ridge in Wye River, a small coastal village on the Great Ocean Road
The home features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, open-plan kitchen, a spacious living area and 180-degree balcony views
Behind the minimalistic steel facade lies a geometric rectangular floorplan with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, an open-plan kitchen, a spacious living area and 180-degree balcony views.
The elegantly arranged single-level home welcomes guests via a generous two-metre wide corridor with bedrooms to either side accessed by full height sliding doors that provide a diagonal view through the living spaces.
The 173sqm property, completed in mid-2020, is made from galvanised steel and fibre cement sheets to achieve the striking minimalistic design.
The total value of the property has not been disclosed.
Architect Chris Connell said the ‘stand-out’ features would undoubtedly be the four-sided fireplace and the expansive 12-metre wide north facing deck with ocean and valley views
The house acts as a blank canvas to ensure attention isn’t drawn away from the beautiful surroundings
The location would be ideal for couples and families alike, or those who are seeking privacy
Mr Connell said the ‘stand-out’ features included the four-sided fireplace and the 12-metre wide north facing deck with ocean and valley views.
The house has been designed as a ‘blank canvas’ to ensure attention isn’t drawn away from the beautiful surroundings.
‘The house is simple. It’s not covered with art. We’ve created a canvas here but the painting is actually out there,’ Mr Connell said.
Mr Connell has over 40 years’ experience in the architecture and interior design industry as well as the furniture industry
The outside deck area with a balcony overlooking the stunning landscape
Mr Connell said he and the team at Chris Connell Deign are more than happy with the final result. The total value of the property has not been disclosed
Mr Connell said he and the team at Chris Connell Deign were more than happy with the final result.
‘We like the austere, discrete elevation the house presents to the street, and the four-sided fireplace how it draws one from the entrance down the wide corridor to the main living area where the full width of the building and the view is revealed,’ he said.
Mr Connell has over 40 years’ experience in the architecture and interior design industry, as well as the furniture industry.