Aerie 2016

House Notes – Aerie

In a rural living zone, at Toto Court, off Yellow Brick road, our house acquires a municipal fantasy. Despite the storybook idea, the main influence for this architecturally designed house is its setting. Not quite at the top of the hill, but close, and with a full frontal slope displaying a work in progress to establish a food forest, the place has attitude, if not altitude.

From the house, its balcony not quite 360 degrees, the distant view is to Corner Inlet and Mount Singapore. The immediate view is the local forest of Gippsland Mallee along a retired branch of Mosquito Creek. It is the top of these trees that the architect featured by multiple windows that from inside are like film clips of the canopies from the inside of the top storey.

The rear of the dining area has full length folding doors on to the decking, the view, especially beautiful in the evening sunset, which spreads light across and down from Mount Nicoll.

The architect designed a house that was for living in and proud of its natural setting. For us, being in the middle of a food forest coincided with experimenting and working with its produce. The kitchen was important.

Our kitchen has a food preparation area that some restaurants would die for. Traditionally, it was termed a scullery but the institutional commutations did it and injustice. It’s fantastic. But there’s more!