On the lookout for a short summer getaway? Here are four architectural homes to escape to over the holiday season.
On the northern tip of Tasmania’s Bruny Island, the award-winning Shearer’s Quarters by John Wardle Architects (now Wardle) can be yours for a couple of nights … or weeks. The iconic abode is set within a historic farming property, alongside Wardle’s renovated Captain Kelly’s Cottage. Named Houses Australian House of the Year back in 2012, the Shearer’s Quarters has only become available for rent this year.
Read more here or rent the home here.
Further south on the island, Maguire and Devine’s Bruny Island Cabin is a treat for the senses. Situated within 99 acres of conservation forest, the off-grid cabin is lined in a luxurious Baltic pine, designed for bare feet or socks only, proving that even the humblest of experiences can be delightful. Guests will enjoy stargazing from the loft or a soak in the surprise bathtub, cleverly submerged beneath the timber deck.
Read more here or rent the cabin here.
Nestled within the bush, this eco-conscious home by Hamilton Design is located in Gippsland in Victoria’s east. The home is a robust clever rebuild of an earlier abode that was mostly destroyed in the state’s Black Friday fires. Clad in Corten steel and lined in recycled timber from Melbourne’s Princess Pier, the project is an homage to salvaged and patinaed materials. The 12-metre lap pool is an additional summer bonus not often found in an off-grid house like this one.
Read more here or rent the house here.
On a sprawling 18-hectare property not far from Daylesford, an hour west of Melbourne, Oikos provides a dramatic escape. The distinctive forms of the building’s exterior are a nod to the striking and aptly-named Breakneck Gorge nearby. From within, views out to the surrounding gum trees and nearby townships are a nice reminder that civilisation isn’t too far away. The project – named after the Greek word for “dwelling” – provides a self-contained escape perfect for a weekend.
Read more here or rent the house here.
