Designed to suit the lifestyle of clients enjoying retirement and celebrate their life-long passion for gardening, Three Garden House immerses its inhabitants in nature. The dwelling was conceived as an introspective space, focusing inward toward a central courtyard garden.

The principal challenge of this project was to create an architectural home that met the clients’ brief while adhering to a modest budget. This constraint guided many design decisions and necessitated the use of economical construction methods.

Initial design studies deconstructed the traditional hipped-roof, brick-veneered home and reconfigured it into an inverted arrangement. This strategy served dual purposes. In practical terms, it centralised roof lines, gutters and downpipes, simplifying outer façades from domestic building clutter. In turn, the building profile became taller and reductive. In spatial terms, this arrangement created a focal point within the home.

From the street, the house presents as a rectangular form. External walls are clad in clay bricks bagged with a traditional sand-cement-lime mixture. The technique is unsophisticated yet provides a singular and textural finish. Vertical articulation is expressed through building entries and window openings with dark-stained cedar cladding.

The floor plan is rectilinear, with circulation wrapping around the internal courtyard, which is visible through large areas of protected glazing. A subdued material palette complements the surrounding greenery, contributing to a peaceful and immersive experience. Interior spaces are light, simple, and muted.

The front garden is home to native plants and trees which are in harmony with the surrounding Adelaide Hills landscape. The remainder of the property serves as a working garden, populated by a diverse array of plants, flowers, and fruit trees. These were relocated from our clients’ previous garden, cultivated for over 50 years and ready for new life.