For the Love of Outdoor Living

In Armadale, this spacious family home designed by architecture firm Powell & Glenn embraces outdoor living through a series of free-flowing pavilions connected to lush gardens. Here the studio’s principal Ed Glenn and head of interiors Clementine Jacobs tell us more about the project

Design Anthology: How did you first meet the client? 

Ed Glenn (EG): The client is an old friend who I’ve known for quite a while. He also engaged a mutual friend, James Gooley of Visioneer Builders, for the build. I always think it’s quite brave to work with friends, but the client really wanted to work with people he could trust. 

What was the brief for this project? 

EG: We were engaged to design an adaptable, free-flowing, five-bedroom family home for the couple and their three children, one that complemented their love for outdoor living. After an initial site visit, the decision for a new build was quickly agreed upon. The clients were after a home that could evolve with their growing family, that connected effortlessly to the garden and facilitated their love for outdoor cooking and entertaining. 

What is the overall size of the house? 

EG: At just under 1,000 square metres, the home has three main pavilions housing five bedrooms, a formal lounge, an office, a bar, a kitchen, living spaces, a rumpus room, a separate kitchenette, three outdoor terraces, seven bathrooms and a powder room.  

What’s unique about the building and the location? 

EG: Located in Armadale, Melbourne, the home spreads across a series of inter-connected pavilions floating between three gardens and is positioned so that the lush outdoor areas can be seen and enjoyed throughout the entire house.  

How did you approach the project — what design references did you try to incorporate into the space? 

EG: To accommodate the growing family’s needs, our approach was grounded in optimal function and flexibility. We repositioned the entrance to the side of the home to create a private front courtyard where the family can host intimate gatherings and guests can spill out from the front bar and living spaces into the three leafy outdoor areas.

Generous ceiling height across the house’s three levels — including a basement garage tucked below — allowed for exceptionally linear sightlines and customisation. Every element has a purpose, setting the stage for subtle pops of colour, art and texture.

Please tell us a little about the material choices for the space. 

Clementine Jacobs (CJ): While the architecture is sympathetic to the surrounding heritage buildings, its clean lines position it as a new build. We’ve extended architectural finishes through to the interior walls and floors by layering fine decorative details in the joinery, walls and ceilings, blurring the lines between architecture, interiors and landscape. 

Creating a true indoor-outdoor connection was paramount, and the choice of material played a large role in achieving this. Various accents in green and natural finishes were used in the joinery to imbue a sense of connection to the garden. Large external pavers lead out from the living spaces to the outdoor areas, creating a seamless transition between the spaces. 

Which of the features were custom designed for the project? 

EG: Within each pavilion, there are spaces that we wanted to create intimate moments around. These include the custom bar, the banquette in the main living space and the outdoor cooking area, which all play a pivotal role in the energy of the house. The Parrilla grill is the perfect centrepiece for weekend gatherings with friends and family. Sitting between two pillars in the main living space, the leather banquette is a nice place to enjoy the sunshine and a morning coffee. 

CJ: The custom, organic-shaped bar is a highlight of the project for me. Laced with a brass trim and supported by two solid concrete pillars, the white marble top really anchors the room. I love the playful tension created by using materials such as concrete and marble. 

Do you have a favourite element or design detail in the architecture or interiors? 

EG: I love the gallery breezeway in the middle of the house, which is also one of the clients’ favourite spaces. The light throughout the house is also quite uplifting. When designing larger houses, it can sometimes be hard to capture the same quality of life that small houses offer, so we worked hard to weave the garden and natural light into these larger spaces.

Images / Sharyn Cairns
Styling and Furniture / Sally Caroline