Inspired by the open-air, concrete architecture of South America, Canopy House sits proud and airy on high ground in a leafy site of Melbourne's Yarra neighbourhood. The architects, Powell & Glenn, founded by Ed Glenn and Allan Powell (and currently led by the former following the latter's retirement), have over the years honed their expertise in creating sophisticated, subtly impactful residences, and this concrete Melbourne home is no exception. Drawing on their client's interest in South American architecture and mindfulness, they created a house that is a carefully choreographed composition of light and space - but which, at the same time, serves the needs of a family lifestyle.
The site itself was another key point to consider in the design development, as Glenn explains: 'The site’s cascading topography provided an opportunity to experience the surroundings at multiple levels. At ground level, the thud of the earth is evident, with the progression through the central and upper floors leaving the user floating amongst the tree canopies.'
Spread across two levels, the home opens up through high ceilings, large windows and swathes of glass towards the green surroundings at every turn. A vertical circulation core connects everything and 'ties' various spaces together visually too, thanks to a sculptural concrete staircase.
Clean, horizontal lines, orthogonal columns and a handful of carefully placed curves make up a composition that feels at the same time sharp, timeless and dynamic, but also serene and contemporary. The roof's concrete canopy extends out and connects seamlessly the interior with the lush, verdant exterior and the home's outdoors areas, such as its paved terraces, pergola and swimming pool. A sprawling garden designed by Robert Boyle Landscapes wraps around the property.
'There is an incremental breaking down of elements that helps embed the house with the surroundings, while allowing the family to observe the changing conditions of the natural world,' says Glenn of this concrete Melbourne home, engulfed in greenery.
INFORMATION
-
Design, air filtration and sustainability meet in the ‘Air’ lamp‘Air as design inspiration’: the ‘Air’ lamp by Adam D Tihany and Contardi puts ecological issues at the forefront
-
Bizzarrini Giotto is a future-statement supercar from a reborn brand
Representing the apex of Italian automotive design, the proposed Bizzarrini Giotto blends heritage with dramatic style
-
Tokyo Toilet project gets Marc Newson addition
The Tokyo Toilet project has a new addition, a Marc Newson-designed facility in the heart of the city’s Shibuya district
-
Arctic conditions shape pared-down house in northern Sweden by Claesson Koivisto Rune
Claesson Koivisto Rune’s new pared-down house makes a bold sculptural statement on the banks of Sweden’s Lule River, shaped by building regulations and its location’s Arctic conditions
-
The Bolder lodges by Snøhetta embrace a Norwegian cliff-edge view
The Bolder project comprises four elevated cabins, enveloped in a Norwegian fjord view, designed by Snøhetta in collaboration with Tom Bjarte Norland and Vipp
-
Hampshire home for a sailor makes for a sustainable domestic haven
Sailor's House by OB Architecture is a Hampshire home that combines minimalism and sustainability
-
A minimalist Mexican home has rocky roots
Echegaray, a minimalist Mexican home by Pérez Palacios Arquitectos Asociados, draws on its rocky site, which peeps out from its lower levels
-
This tiny house is the perfect lookout towards the Seto Inland Sea
A tiny house by Schemata Architects looks out towards the Seto Inland Sea
-
Home and art gallery Maison Colbert is a London transformation story
Maison Colbert by Chris Dyson Architects reimagines a row of London houses into a single home and artist's gallery in the East End
-
This slim Condesa house in Mexico City blends rawness and nature
Casa Parras, a Condesa house in Mexico City, is the brainchild of two studios – Alberto Kalach’s TAX and Emilio A Cohen's Tow Va Bow
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globe
Modernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; check back soon for new additions to our list
