Apr 3, 2017

Krause Emperor bricks cleverly link old with new, creating a warm family home in Armadale

Krause Emperor Bricks, Armadale Treehouse

Wrapping itself around an existing mature pineoak tree, this immaculately designed and built freestanding home is set within a lush, green landscape, is rich in natural materials, and perfectly integrates with the heritage precinct in Melbourne’s Armadale.

Reno Rizzo, Director, Inarc Architects, says the design intent of the home was “To not only integrate the home into the landscape but maintain the importance of the pineoak tree, having the towering specimen be admired from as many spaces in the home and garden as possible. So we divided the first floor of the house into two wings, separated by a bridge-like area to allow views into the tree canopy.” The effect is absolutely stunning.

Of course, material selection was also important to achieve a seamless integration with both the landscape and heritage streetscape. The house is surrounded by a beautiful mix of heritage architectural styled homes using brickwork, steeply pitched tiled roofs, slender window openings and detailed ornamentation. And what Inarc cleverly created for its clients is a finely crafted contemporary interpretation of this heritage style.

Being a huge fan of the Old English Tudor homes, Inarc selected a colour palette to tone in well with that style. And Krause Emperor bricks in Grampian Blue were the perfect fit. The colour of the bricks works beautifully with the nearby Old English Tudor homes, perfectly combines with the external details – including bronze coloured metals, grey timbers and the slate dual hipped roof – and ties in well with the surrounding, lush vegetation.

Krause Emperor Bricks, internal fireplace

In fact, Inarc and its clients found that the Krause Emperor brick is more than just an ordinary brick. Not only does it offer much warmer tones to match the English Tudor style, in browns, reds, rusts and a slight tinge of mauve, it also offers greater creativity in its end use. As Reno says, “It looks more unusual, more like a tapestry than just a brick, so you’re able to do more things with the mortar joint and patterning.”

Bricks are a prominent material used in the home’s design, and are carried through from the outside façade, complete with a striking brick arch, to the inside design, being used as a feature wall in a basket weave pattern around the fireplace, on the stairwell and on a selection of walls on the upper level.

As you can see, the Armadale Treehouse is a beautifully designed home of great architectural, interior design and landscape design sensitivity. It’s really no surprise that the owners simply love their new space and have had their expectations exceeded in every way. Reno adds, “The aesthetic appreciation of the building, its function and the way it fits into the neighbourhood are a source of great daily joy.”