Curved Timber Pavilion

The roof is the first thing you notice. It lifts from a low eave on the western side to almost six metres over the living room, so the afternoon sun is held back while the morning light comes straight in across the floor. The frame is spotted gum, left unpainted, and the glazing on the northern face runs the full length of the house.

Inside, the plan is simple: one long living, dining and kitchen space in the middle, the main bedroom at the eastern end with its own terrace, and three further bedrooms and a shared bathroom to the west. The kitchen has a three-metre island in honed basalt and a walk-in pantry that doubles as a scullery when you are entertaining.

The two acres are mostly native grasses with a small orchard near the drive. A 90,000-litre rainwater tank, 13 kW of solar and hydronic floor heating keep running costs low. Red Hill village and its Saturday market are four minutes away, and the drive to the Melbourne CBD takes around 75 minutes outside peak hour.