- Located on a reasonably secluded parcel of land overlooking the Flinders, Peninsula House by Wood Marsh is truly a sight to behold.
- The dwelling has been “envisioned in the round to sit harmoniously in the topography of its site… an erosional remnant formed by its harsh, exposed coastal setting.”
- All photography included by Timothy Kaye.
We’ve encountered artistic residences with unintended sterility (a common pitfall of doggedly pursuing a “vision”). We’ve encountered artistic residences fated for doom simply by virtue of who their owners are (another victim of those “visions”).
Thankfully, Peninsula House by Wood Marsh is neither.
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Conceptualised as an “architectural response” to the country’s coastline, and the dramatic contours of the rural landscape, this liveable sculpture can be found perched on the apex of an enviable site overlooking Flinders, with Bass Strait beyond.
Accessible via a meandering driveway, the main structure resembles a ribbon of rammed earth that crests upwards to as high as 10 metres into the air; wrapping behind the dwelling before gradually tapering into the landscape. And there’s an actual function to the form.
Given the minimal glazing and considerable thermal mass, the elevation stabilises the heat collected from the afternoon sun. On the subject of functionality, the charred timber and rammed earth that shrouds Peninsula House have been selected for their robust and low-maintenance qualities.
Crossing the threshold, you’ll encounter plenty of black mosaic tiles, black timber battens, blackened brass, and black terrazzo flooring, but most prominently (and immediately): a lush, planted atrium that “defines the building’s axial centre.”
In practical terms, the atrium allows natural light to flood the interior; the design incorporates a heavy emphasis on the “shifting nature of light and shadow,” along Peninsula House’s walls, openings, and curvatures.
Snaking hallways lead you away to three distinct zones: a bedroom zone, a living zone, and a recreation zone.
The double-height living space offers an expansive view of both the delightfully sparse rural terrain and calming ocean; with a sweeping parabolic ceiling that supposedly provides unique acoustic quality — something to accommodate the owner’s grand piano and other instruments.
Side note: there’s also a purpose-built recording studio tucked away at the end of an “evocative hallway.”
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Adjacent to the living space is a generous sheltered terrace, per the musically inclined owner’s predilection for hosting grand poolside events in a picturesque setting. In fact, each of the five bedrooms and core living spaces “celebrates views of the rural context and surrounds.”
The master bedroom, on the other hand, sits above the living zone in all its complete privacy; and is entered through a “sweeping stair cloaked in darkness.” As every master bedroom should.
Check out Peninsula House by Wood Marsh for yourself above and below.
