Ocean House by RMA
Rob Mills designed his dream holiday home in Lorne, drawing on design elements that mirror the bridge between the forest and the ocean.
Photography: Caitlin Mills
Ocean House, designed by Rob Mills from Rob Mills Architecture and Interiors (RMA), sits perched along the Great Ocean Road in Lorne, wavering between the lush forest and the wide open ocean. Inspired by the land, the design respects nature through an understanding of form and texture.
Ocean House was built by the architect for himself and his family, a place where they can escape and enjoy with close friends. The architect worked with the constraints and challenges of a steep site, designing a home which combines the solidity of a cylindrical concrete form with the lightness and transparency of a glass and timber linear space. “The two personalities of the house work together as one. The concrete section, which houses the bedrooms is very purposeful, sheltering the house from the storms and deadening sound, in contrast to the connections with nature in the living section", shares Rob.
The design tunes into the sensory aspects of the site, as Rob was acutely aware of the importance of the sound of the ocean and also the parallel connection to the forest, which is central to the sense of calm in the house. “I really value a quiet space, a cool space, a warm space, the importance of fresh air cannot be underestimated – you need to be able to throw open doors and have cross ventilation", he says. The design focus for the finishes in the home was kept organic and tactile with neutral, tactile fabrics, stucco that feels like velvet and coloured to match the trees in the rainforest and limed black butt ceilings which mimic tones of the coastal location.
“This house is a story of the land, its unique positioning between coast and forest, and the climatic conditions, which inform the built outcome.”
“I really value a quiet space, a cool space, a warm space, the importance of fresh air cannot be underestimated.”
