The project began with a shift in pace. Moving from inner-city Melbourne to a rural property near Kyneton, the intention was not simply to renovate a house, but to reconsider how it might be lived in.

Set on Taungurung Country overlooking the Pastoria Valley, the house sits within a broad landscape of open paddocks and scattered gums. The decision to stay was immediate, shaped by the view, the sheltered position on the hill and the underlying potential of the existing structure.

Approached along a long rural track, the house reveals itself gradually, oriented towards expansive views across the valley. The design strips the 20-year-old building back to its essentials, retaining what belongs to the site, including Castlemaine granite walls, while reworking the interior to establish a closer relationship between living spaces and the landscape.

The renovation draws on an Italian sensibility, balanced with the practical demands of country life. Urban habits are set aside in favour of a more direct engagement with climate, material and daily routine.

A series of enclosed rooms has been replaced with a single, open living volume facing north. The kitchen is repositioned at the centre of the plan, anchoring daily use and framing long views. Light enters deep into the interior through thermal glazing and a skylight, shifting the atmosphere of the house across the day.

Materials are drawn from the site and local context, grounding the building within its surroundings. Operating fully off-grid, the house requires ongoing engagement with water, energy and climate, shaping a way of living closely tied to place.

Photography: Dianna Snape, Jade Cantwell