Always by Kennedy Nolan

The inimitable Melbourne-based architecture practice Kennedy Nolan knows a thing or two about designing domestic spaces. With over 20 years in the industry, their enduring grip on the design landscape stems from constant innovation, drawing on the handmade and handcrafted sculptural form of modernism—without ever falling into pastiche.

Shortlisted in the 2022 Victorian Architecture Awards in the interior architecture category, their latest project ‘Always’ is a weekender and a summer house that will in time become a more permanent residence.

Located in the seaside town of Flinders on the Mornington Peninsula, the brief required an unmediated experience of the spectacular coastal landscape, while retaining the peace and calm of a refuge.

An intense materiality consisting mostly of oiled cedar and blackbutt, earth-hued render and pale green slate supports a concept of interior chiaroscuro. This approach addresses the primacy of the spectacular view, pulling it into balance through a soft interior rendered in the earthy hues of the massive retaining walls of Coldstream stone.

The warm palette supports a sense of moving from dim spaces to light, defining a sense of refuge from harsh coastal light and prioritising silence and calm. Each element that is introduced—lighting, curtains and furniture—has been selected to build an overall sense of quietude and a visual relationship to the natural world.

Kennedy Nolan Always Holiday Home Phot Derek Swalwell Yellowtrace 15

Kennedy Nolan Always Holiday Home Phot Derek Swalwell Yellowtrace 14

A spectacular site is both a gift and a problem for new architecture. The positives are self-evident, the negatives less so, but apparent in single-orientation, glassy boxes which proliferate on such sites. Taking this into consideration the team balanced the need to hero the view with creating an atmosphere of refuge to forge an ideal domestic setting.

As this weekender and summer house will ultimately become a more permanent place of residence, the architects had to predict problems down the line and future proof the home.

Overcoming a few design hurdles, the finished project offers wheelchair access on a sloping site, ensuring the house had low energy requirements and was designed to be comfortable both in summer and winter. With a cultivated garden, the budling connects with the wider landscape naturally, with multiple places to be, depending on the location of the sun and prevailing winds. The perfect spot to host guests in a relaxed and easy way—well into the future.