Designed by Denton Corker Marshall, this modern concrete wilson house design is located in Yarra Valley, Victoria. Two thin rectangular plates – roof and floor – lay into a gentle rise above the vineyard stretching down to the main road. The black metal floor plate is supported by a series of parallel black pigmented concrete walls set at right angles to it. One end rests on the hillside; the other cantilevers 11 metres beyond the supporting wall. The identical roof plate floats above, separated by full-height glazing on the front and ends, and on the back by two vine green sticks laid longitudinally between the plates.
Each plate is 50 metres long and 11 metres wide. Their singularity and clarity is reinforced by deep setbacks – two metres on the front and rear, and five metres on the cantilevered projection – to the external wall. The roof plate is supported by internal steel columns.
The lower lever, defined by the black concrete walls, contains entry, car parking, wine cellar, study and guest bedrooms. The upper level – conceptually a single space – contains the master bedroom, second bedroom, living, dining and kitchen.
A floor-to-ceiling glass wall with sliding external doors extends the full length of the house, and opens onto an upper level terrace stepping down to an outdoor swimming pool.
Floors are honed mid-grey pigmented concrete, and ceilings white plasterboard. Internal spaces are defined by sycamore panelled volumes inserted into the space, and held free of the ceiling and the long glazed wall.
