Located on a relatively restrained block in Point Lonsdale and sharing a boundary with the historic Ballara estate, the summer home of Australia’s second Prime Minister Alfred Deakin, this four-bedroom home by Field Office Architecture embraces a quiet kind of coastal modernism. Designed for a semi-retired couple as their ‘forever’ home, the project balances long-term functionality with a calm and enduring sense of place.
Set back from the street to allow for a north-facing garden and outdoor living zone, the home responds carefully to its site’s unusual orientation, with views to the south and sun from the north. The architecture is deliberately restrained: a grounded lower level of blockwork provides thermal mass and durability, while a lighter timber-clad upper volume draws on the tones and textures of the surrounding coastal vegetation.
Internally, the home is zoned to support aging in place, with all essential spaces, including the main bedroom and a workshop, located on the ground floor. A second level accommodates a flexible rumpus room and guest space, floating among the treetops and framing long views across the estate. The design encourages both sociability and solitude: spaces can open up for large family gatherings or retreat into stillness.
Timber screens wrap parts of the building, referencing the vertical rhythm of local flora and softening the transitions between indoors and out. The material palette is deliberately understated; honest, warm, and robust, intended to weather and age gracefully over time.
The home operates almost entirely off-grid, with solar power, battery storage, rainwater harvesting, and passive thermal design ensuring year-round comfort with minimal environmental impact. Native planting and low-maintenance finishes further support a low-intervention, long-life approach. But the true sustainability lies in the home’s longevity, a place designed to support its occupants through changing seasons and stages of life. With a focus on simplicity, comfort, and connection to place, Point Lonsdale House is a refined response to coastal living that quietly elevates the everyday.
