Mount Macedon House
Ben Lance Architects- Type Housing House
- Date 2023
- Country Australia
- Photograph Ben Hosking
With a length of 50 meters and a built area of 320 m², the house stands at the foot of Mount Macedon, on a plot located about an hour north of Melbourne. The site was an opportunity to design a long narrow dwelling that would make the most of the mountain views, as well as of what a northern orientation could provide in terms of controlling climate and light.
The house is positioned close to the plot’s southern boundary in order to maximize outdoor space for the garden. This decision is reinforced by a predominantly solid south facade, which protects privacy on the street side, while the north facade is very open, with a long glazed surface protected by a large overhang that regulates the amount of sunlight shining in. Thanks to this strategy, the house is flooded with natural light during the winter.
The sloping roof of corrugated steel, a material also used for the exterior claddings, is a clear reference to the region's vernacular buildings, reinterpreted here in a contemporary language. Inside, the building was originally thought up as a large open space for a single person, the mother of architect Ben Lance, albeit designed to lodge a large visiting family and other guests.
The program includes two bedrooms, a bathroom, and an entrance hall. The house can be divided into two areas, public and private, identifiable through granite and wooden flooring, respectively, and separated by sliding panels. Circulation is also organized in two independent routes: one for the owner, from the parking area into the private zone, and another for guests, who access the public area directly.
The floor levels follow the slope of the land from west to east and mark the transition from private to public spaces, while the ceiling heights are carefully adjusted; the northern edge of the concrete slab is maintained at the highest point and integrated as a continuous seating area as the floor level descends. The interior is clad primarily in plywood, which has a warm, cozy effect, balancing the presence of concrete, granite, ceramic tiles, steel, and aluminum.
















