In Victoria, Australia, a light-coloured brick pavilion is perched on a rare double-corner site. ‘The site itself was the main inspiration,' explains Emlyn Olaver, director of Olaver Architecture, a firm based in Australia. The result is the studio's newest project, Hanslope House.
‘Rather than treating its openness as a challenge, we explored how it could redefine suburban living by creating a home that is simultaneously open and private. The design questions the conventional suburban model of a single backyard, instead using a sequence of courtyards and gardens to create a richer relationship between house, landscape, and street.’
The reimagined dwelling was conceived to challenge conventional ideas of privacy and engagement with the street. The residence comprises two volumes connected by a corridor, which divides the garden into two courtyards. The tradition of a single backyard is replaced with multiple outdoor areas in which to seek refuge.
Step inside the brick pavilion that is Hanslope House
Says Olaver, ‘The greatest challenge was balancing openness with privacy while negotiating planning controls. With three street frontages, the house is unusually exposed, requiring careful consideration of views, orientation, and enclosure. Achieving approval for zero setbacks to the side and rear streets was a significant part of the process, ultimately allowing the project to better respond to its site and improve internal amenity.’
The front door is set back within the façade, shaded by an alcove entry, and opens into the kitchen, dining, and living spaces. Each space is divided by brick screens and offers a visual connection to the surrounding gardens. The rear pavilion accommodates further living spaces and children's areas, while the main bedroom is connected to the courtyard.
The central spine is Olivar’s favourite part of the house: 'It’s more than a corridor,’ the architect says, ‘it is the project's organising element – a quiet threshold between public and private life, inside and outside, activity and retreat. Framed by courtyards and changing light throughout the day, it embodies the central idea of the project: that movement through a home can be just as meaningful as the rooms themselves.’
Hanslope House’s materiality nods to the surrounding suburban environment; Olaver has injected a contemporary touch with lattices and terracotta gabled roofs.
It feels familiar, yet entirely new, as Olaver explains: 'We hope visitors immediately feel a sense of calm and refuge. The progression through the unfenced front garden, sheltered entry and central spine is intended to slow the pace of arrival, gradually revealing light, landscape and interconnected spaces. Rather than a single dramatic moment, the house unfolds through a sequence of experiences that feel generous, grounded, and deeply connected to the garden.’
