Alpine Residence
Located on the isolated Redbank Plain in Victoria’s High Country, the 210m² Alpine Residence is a modern alpine home. Off the grid, the brief was to design a high quality ‘original’ house appropriate for the alpine climate and remote location, minimise energy consumption and maintenance demands.
Materials and colours include galvanised iron and weather worn hardwood characteristic of the early mountain huts of the region. The building design allows the sun to penetrate its entire width with the concrete floor maximising thermal mass properties of the slab. The single pitched roof meets the essential requirement of stormwater catchment and snow management while minimising possible erosion to the natural hydrology of the site.
The first floor includes 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a living area overlooking the ground floor living room. The linear plan allows all rooms to open on to a northern balcony. The balcony roof is protected by the array of solar panels positioned so that snow damage from the roof is not possible. Other environmentally sustainable elements include solar power with LP gas generator backup and on-site sewerage purification system.