Emma Tulloch Architects designed Peak House in Malvern, Australia, as a unique family home that challenges traditional structural identities. Completed in 2023, the house features an abstract form among notable heritage architecture.
Emma Tulloch Architects Designs Unique Family Home
Located in Malvern, Australia, Peak House by Emma Tulloch Architects challenges traditional brickwork identity, creating a unique family home. The structural design takes inspiration from the site’s historical brick covenant, aiming for a nuanced and practical cladding solution.
In considering the site’s standout characteristics, attention was paid to the significant elm tree, viewed as an important local landmark. The building’s basement layout and the curved dining area architecture were all informed by the elm’s presence.
Privacy and consideration for surrounding properties also influenced the conceptual development, notably with the design for window screening. The screen brick concept continued the cladding material over the windows, maintaining an abstract facade. With varied spacing, these bricks feature an inverted V face, allowing light and views to permeate while adding visual intrigue.
The facade also interprets the client’s brief, accommodating daily family life. Glazing at ground level tactfully reveals the home’s interior at the main entrance and rear living areas. Inside, stairs to the basement and a prominent spiral stair to the first floor converge, fully showcasing the curved stair and hovering brick entrance.
In the basement, private areas sit beneath the front garden facing a sunken, lush lightwell. Upstairs, private functions like the rumpus room, bedrooms, and bathrooms are enveloped by the monolithic, custom brick exterior.
While proportionally a significant budget component, these custom bricks, made in Spain, were fired in biogas kilns powered by landfill methane, ensuring sustainability. The choice of bricks is seen as a meaningful long-term resource investment, blending delight with durability.
Automation and photovoltaic systems discreetly control the house’s current and future resource consumption, with each brick’s peak contributing to a dynamic, timeless play of light and aspirations of a lasting family residence.
