This Merricks North dwelling was designed for a wine-making couple who like to have fun meals and wine, and getting along with family and friends.

With such an intimate temporary for the unconventional dwelling, there was no-one higher positioned to helm the design than Claire Scorpo, of Agius Scorpo Architects, a frequent customer, and daughter of the homeowners.

Claire began engaged on the house when she was nonetheless a scholar — ‘It went by means of too many iterations to depend’, she says — and over three separate phases, it was completed 4 years later.

Though the renovations solely added a mere seven sq. meters to the home, Claire says, ‘It appears like a very new dwelling.’

The earlier construction was a tumbled brick veneer farmhouse constructed within the 70s. It had interiors lined with darkish timber and a deep verandah that allow little mild into the home, making it darker nonetheless.

‘The planning was a bit of pokey and didn’t make use of the unimaginable south-western views that stretch over to Phillip Island,’ explains Claire.

In an effort to champion this beautiful outlook, Claire designed massive home windows that invite the panorama in. ‘The one space we prolonged out had been the reveals for the brand new home windows to the north and south,’ she explains. ‘We had been eager for these new openings to have a way of depth to actually body the views out,’ she says.

On the time, Claire was significantly impressed by the big glass doorways made by Danish architect Jørn Utzon for his own residence; the place the frames sit proud on the outside, for an unobstructed view.

Though this element sadly didn’t seal correctly and required further seals over winter — ‘some great benefits of a household undertaking!’ says Claire — she was gratified to study upon visiting the celebrated architect’s dwelling a few years in the past, that his home windows, too, had been stopped with items of sentimental foam and tape. ‘So at the very least I do know these had been replicated authentically!’, she laughs.

Claire reconfigured the format of the house to prioritise connection. ‘Cooking and sharing wine and meals collectively is what this home is all about,’ she explains.

The pinwheel design of the kitchen and dwelling areas permits visible adjacency, but in addition separation, so totally different individuals and conversations can occur in every ‘zone’ independently when the home is at full capability.

‘This works rather well as the youngsters will be taking part in within the lounge, while individuals are working collectively to prepare dinner within the kitchen, and others are sitting on the desk,’ Claire says.

An open fireplace on an elevated fireplace connects all of the areas collectively, impressed by the fireside at her grandparents’ home, the place everybody gravitated to on arrival. ‘We had been eager to create the identical second on this home,’ Claire explains. ‘And it does simply that. It’s the primary place individuals sit in winter, with a glass of wine earlier than the meal.’

Second solely to the household’s love of getting collectively, is their love of wine — Claire’s dad and mom are the homeowners of Scorpo Wines.

And the house, it ought to come as no shock, is subsequently centered across the cellar; ‘the guts of the house for a household who make wine,’ explains Claire.