Architect: Hamilton Design

Interior Design: Seed Interior Design

Landscaping: Bond Landscaping

Location: Gunaikurnai country (Callignee, Victoria)

Just two weeks after its original owner Chris Clarke completed his dream off-the-grid home nestled in the Gippsland bushland, the Black Saturday fires tore through the dense, dry underbrush and destroyed it all.

Ten years later and Callignee has been painstakingly rebuilt and passed onto new custodians, Maggie and Chris Jones.

Callignee II operates on eco-friendly/sustainable living principles. It’s 100% off the grid and therefore prides itself on its energy efficiency, self-sustainability and total independence. A state of the art lithium battery storage means almost all year round the house can run purely on the sun. Rainwater is harvested onsite and waste from the home broken down via a Biolytic Blackwater system sunken into the earth.

Callignee II is designed so that every room enjoys the north sun. The kitchen, the heart of this home opens to the north directly connecting the pool and gardens. The open plan area shares a double sided fireplace with water jacket ensuring all its energy is used. The west elevation of the living space brings the huge eucalypts into the home.

Blurring the separation of indoor and outdoor living with bi-fold doors, the dwelling interior is as minimalist and contemporary as the exterior. The walls and ceilings are Corten rust sheet and rust paints. The lines are clean and true to the elements that form them. Recycled timber from Melbourne's Princess Pier form the ceiling of the bedroom, bathroom vanity, dining table and some flooring.