Located on unceded Boonwurrung Land, this property comprises 8 hectares of farmland amongst spectacular rolling green hills. With a fascinating connection to Australia’s national history, it was the former home of Deputy Prime Minister Dr Jim Cairns who purchased the property post-retirement and had three connected dwellings built on site over time. Our clients, Rex and Elaine, purchased this property in 2017. They came to us with a deceptively simple brief – to build a custom home capable of housing themselves and their multi-generational family for their retirement stage of life while ensuring ease of use and privacy.

Overall Design Strategy – to Build for Convenience and Aspect

After several site visits, measurements, and assessments, we came up with a custom design that kept the original dwelling, stripped back to floor and walls and reimagined with a new roof structure, and replaced the other connected dwellings (which were in poorer condition) with a new primary residence. Our design would result in smaller but more efficient footprint than the original sprawling structure.

Navigating Tricky Council Requirements

Excited as we were to have this project underway, we had to first navigate tricky Council requirements. The zoning system did not acknowledge the three connected dwellings on site and permitted only a single building to house the family. Through several rounds of presentations and backed by existing site plans, we finally obtained Council’s approval of the right of continued usage based on our plan of two connected buildings.

Image Key:

1. New Dwelling
2. Original renovated & connected Dwelling
3. New storage shed & workshop

Design that Integrates Architecture with Landscape

Given the scale of the property, the only public views to the country home are at a considerable distance. However sitting, as it does, atop a hill invited another planning requirement – the overall built form had to nestle into the landscape.

We addressed this through the use of dark cladding on the roofs and facade.

This not only met the planning requirements but also framed the spectacular 270 degree views from the property. Our core strategy of view management was later expressed in both the glazing design and the portal frame architectural expression.

Massing was also carefully considered.

Given the scale of this luxury residence, it was desirable for the building to read as a series of connected forms rather than a single unified and very large object that would dominate the landscape. The very point of multiple dwellings that was debated at Council became a means of addressing their requirement of nestling into the landscape, while also ensuring that the built structure was large enough to accommodate the needs of a growing multi-generational family.

Building Adaptability and Privacy for the Family

To cater to the needs of our clients’ extended family across multiple age bands and life stages, we mapped out different life scenarios and translated these into our design for an overall easy, natural experience from different entry sequences for different circumstances of access, generous indoor and outdoor living spaces to promote socialising, to lower ground bedrooms for addition personal spaces. The connected yet dual-key residence typology ensured both avenues for bonding and retreat into privacy.

Cost-Efficiencies in Construction and Maintenance – a Home for the Future

A project of this scale requires careful consideration of construction costs and future maintenance expenses.

Construction Cost Efficiencies:

Given the sheer scale of this country home, we are especially proud that we kept within a very efficient construction cost of under AUD 3,500 per square metre at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic. We achieved this through careful material selection and astute design decisions. The use of recycled bricks was a conscious environmentally sustainable choice. We insulated the existing building fabric with a supplementary insulated plasterboard product on all external walls, thermally similar to a reverse brick veneer construction and mimicking the form of the original building.

Future-proofing the Home:

With andever, the project doesn’t end simply when all the walls and roof are erected. With an eye to minimising future maintenance costs, we built environment sustainability into the core of Nakari.

• The project is all electric, with a substantial 20 KW solar panel system offsetting much of the energy use. This can be connected with a battery system to become virtually independent from the power grid. 
• All rain water for the site is collected and stored in tanks with over 80,000 litres of capacity.
• The thermally insulation we built in reduces electricity consumption.
• All weather protected parts of the structure are timber framed reducing embodied carbon.
• The overall site was included in the Council’s Ribbons of Green program to plant significant numbers of indigenous plants in green wedge planning zones.

5 Years After Completion

In Nov 2025, this site was selected for the Open Gardens Victoria initiative. Our clients invited us to revisit the home that we had built and to soak in the phenomenal views surrounding the farmhouse.  The home was working exactly as per our design intentions – a dual key luxury residence that continues to balance the needs for connection and privacy of a multi-generational family, while framing and celebrating the spectacular views that surround it. Our energy-efficiency initiatives have resulted in lower utility bills and the family loves their country home. 

Want to adapt or extend or build your multi-generational home? Contact us today!