Erskine Residence | B.E. Architecture

Our Erskine residence is one of my favourite houses designed by our office. The house’s primary material is in-situ concrete, wrapped in a skin of limestone and tempered with timber. The relationship of these materials to each other gives the house its main character.

The house was designed for an older couple, with its 300m² internal footprint entirely dedicated to supporting their particular lifestyles. The house is basically a single bedroom with separate studies, massage rooms, art storage facilities, a wine cellar, a library, and a chef’s kitchen. The house is very private, which is a common trait in many of our inner-city projects. Despite this, the house remains light-filled from its many walled gardens associated with all of its internal spaces. The concept of a ‘house being a castle’ is very relevant here and reinforces our intent with each of our projects—that each house should be designed to support and improve its occupants’ lives.

The use of concrete extends beyond the structural elements, including the monolithic built-in bath that was created in a single pour. The concrete is always tempered by the limestone that lines many of the house’s internal walls from floor to ceiling. It is a detail one might find in a period French villa, referring to our interest in different cultures and periods of time. The stone’s pale grey colouring and even surface provide a perfect backdrop to the client’s extensive Aboriginal art collection.

The rawness of the concrete, combined with the refined sophistication of the stone, creates an ideal akin to a contemporary Japanese house built in Paris.

This project was many years in the making, and while each of our houses is unique, this one beautifully encapsulates many of the design conversations we have had in the office over the years.
Andrew Piva

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The Erskine Residence, situated at the end of a row of Victorian workers' cottages in Melbourne's bayside suburb of Middle Park, stands as an architectural marvel. Its seemingly windowless facade conceals a light- filled interior, illuminated by strategically placed skylights and a series of walled gardens that traverse the house's two levels. Constructed from white in-situ concrete, the exterior material seamlessly extends inside, complemented by pale grey Bolzano Limestone. This limestone creates a distinctive outer skin over the concrete facade and lines the interior walls from floor to ceiling, reminiscent of older European stately homes and Parisian 19th- century apartment foyers. The stone, laid flush with minimal grout joints and ground to a smooth finish, forms a monolithic plane that beautifully showcases the client's extensive Aboriginal art collection. A single dusty oak timber is used throughout the house's joinery and in a series of sliding screens that separate different rooms. The combination of materials evokes the essence of Japanese and early French architecture, creating a timeless aesthetic. Cast iron radiators are positioned in front of large plate glass windows, and a two-story in-situ concrete chimney with a chain mail fire curtain references the early modernist architecture of Louis Kahn. The gardens, arranged as a series of tailored scenes, feature dwarfed black pines, maples, and bonsai juniper strategically placed over the house's two levels. The main bedroom’s ensuite, with its 4.5-meter limestone walls, contains a large bath formed within a monolithic concrete structure, complemented by a custom stainless steel bath spout. The bath and bedroom overlook one of the house's feature gardens. Primarily designed as a single-bedroom house, the residence caters to the creature comforts of its two clients, with separate "hotel-like" guest accommodations. For the clients, the house includes separate studies, reading areas, sun decks, wellness retreats with steam and massage, extensive cellar, and cooking facilities. The Erskine Residence is a nurturing home that promotes a refined way of living, tailored to older clients with very particular tastes.

Credits

Architecture Firm: B.E. Architecture

Lead Architects: Duncan McLeary

Photography: Martina Gemmola

Website: www.gemmola.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/gemmola

Photography: Sharon Xie

IG: https://www.instagram.com/sharon.xie_