Isha Misra

Anchored amid a forest of eucalypts, tea trees, and native grasses, and the serenity of the ocean, this home applies design strategies that protect, connect, expose, and integrate to form an engaging experience with the natural surroundings of Apollo Bay. It invites inhabitants into the landscape by taking cues from the site’s physical conditions and mimics them in the form and atmospheres throughout the home.

The immensity of the site is carried into the design in the open living area and deck which encourage public and communal use. In contrast, the bedrooms and study space form a neutral, acoustically, and aesthetically quiet space for refuge. The design encompasses themes of exposure and protection and finds a middle ground, so they are not foreign to each other. The home embraces the highly variable landscape and weather conditions of Apollo Bay and creates moments of exposure to the strong winds and areas subject to flooding

There are steep and narrow moments, that may not be occupiable in all weather conditions as one may feel a sense of threat, however, this experience of the sublime offers a connection to the landscape. The home’s rectilinear external form envelopes an interior with natural materials and organic forms to connect back to the landscape. Through this, it embraces the beauty of living and caring for the person inside while offsetting it with the notion of exposure.