Halcyon | Jolson Architecture Interiors

Designed by Jolson, Halcyon provided an opportunity to draw upon combined architectural experience and familiarity with the area to design a unique houseboat located on Lake Eildon.The freshwater lake was created in 1956, with a capacity of six times Sydney Harbour, and approximately 2 hours’ drive from Melbourne in Australia.

There are limitations on recreational houseboats that restrict the overall size, as well as traditions that pass between local boat builders which see many common threads between them both aesthetically and in their functional layouts. The Jolson houseboat challenges these traditions with acute focus on the threshold between inside and out in response to the size restrictions. While it is a typical response to maximise the enclosed area on the boat, this design was driven by a desire to create a form that responded to its setting with an unconfined feel. Distinguishing it from the predominantly geometric houseboats that populate Lake Eildon, precedent was taken from more dynamic watercrafts such as ships and speedboats which convey motion through their form. The architecturally minded approach to the design is evident when one moves around the houseboat, as the connection from each elevation to the next is seamless, sculpted with smooth lines that give it a calm dynamism on the water. An intentional play on reflection results in a softness to the materially hard shell of the boat where light hits the surfaces and rolls off the corners.

The plan of the Jolson houseboat provides the shared living areas on the ground floor to amplify the feeling of living on the water. This is further enhanced through the layout, in which joinery has been held away from the perimeter glazing to maximise the visual connection to the water and landscape. In the kitchen, the functional elements are contained within the island bench. In the living room is an additional joinery unit that conceals the TV, but also functions as a bar, tucked beneath the staircase. The careful placement of built-in joinery simply defines and divides the living spaces, whilst maintaining a very open plan living experience. The living room opens seamlessly into an outdoor undercover room containing additional dining and lounge seating. The glazing design is unique to Halcyon, allowing the sides of the boat to slide open to create an outdoor living room surrounded by water.

Separation of sleeping areas from the decks and throughfare of the boat emphasises the tranquility instilled through the elevated views in the four first floor bedroom suites. Two are identical Master Bedrooms located at each end, differentiated by the view they are orientated towards. The room located at the bow focuses on the landscape view when docked, whilst the room at the stern takes advantage of the water views. A toilet and shower cubicle are tucked away on either side of the room while the master vanity is featured as a furniture object, and bedhead. A large circular mirror behind the vanity bounces the view of the lake into the room, immersing you in the landscape. 

The central stair provides direct access to the roof which is a large multifunctional living room without walls. A large canopy provides shelter from the heat of the day over ample space for sunlounges and daybeds, as well as a circular built-in banquette for dining, a simple linear countertop bar with kitchen facilities and a high-top bar. Beyond this, the wood-fired hot tub has clear views of the sky for stargazing in tempered water, steaming against the chill of a cold night.

Attention to the relationship between built form and interior design is evident in the materials and furnishings on the Jolson houseboat. Jolson worked closely with the supplier of the timber floorboards to achieve the rugged texture in the sawn-cut boards. This texture carries into the furnishings, which are a mix of outdoor and indoor pieces both inside and out, emphasising the fluidity of the threshold and responding to the practicalities of life on the boat. The colour palette picks up the gradient of lighter tones on the shore which are revealed as the water ebbs down the bank, creating subdued layering against the landscape.

The name Halcyon denotes a period in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful. It also a mythical bird said by ancient writers to breed in a nest floating at sea at the winter solstice, charming the wind and waves into calm.

Photography: Lucas Allen

Website: https://www.lucasallen.com/