Designed by TERROIR, Richmond House is the living translation of an idea that views can be framed by the placement of rooms within a home. Comprising three bedrooms and an artist studio, the contemporary home revolves around three distinct ‘portals’ that each hold their own unique view to the north.
TERROIR’s team and the clients held initial discussions on what the home was to look like circa 2018. From that conversation the practice devised a plan that did away with the stereotypical sweeping views of many homes built into a hill, instead opting for a dwelling that would direct and frame the view from specific rooms. As a result, the studio overlooks the Tea Tree Valley, the living room opens out to The Coal Valley and the kitchen looks upon the township of Richmond, just north of Hobart. The building’s facade, characterised by its charcoal brickwork, is contemporary and understated and seeks to sit comfortably amongst its immediate context.
Behind the three volumes sit the private spaces, which are nestled into the hill of the site behind. The plan has been intentionally bent by TERROIR to follow contours of the hill, which allows them to intertwine with the casuarina trees located on the hill.
The interior of the home directly references the hills outside, with a white ceiling that gently ascends and descends in different areas. Timber flooring, joinery, furniture pieces and white walls inform much of the interior palette, which nods in the direction of the quintessential country homestead while taking cues from modern interior stylings.
With the practice familiar with creating certain forms and volumes after an open consultation process, Richmond House is a star-shaped domicile that captures a number of views and frames them with the placement of certain rooms. The house itself balances taking in the views in the living spaces and allowing for quiet moments within the private quarters, with an assured palette seen both within the interior and exterior resulting in a house that holds a strong sense of conviction.
