clifftop retreats

HEPBURN SPRINGS

Location: Hepburn Springs

Date of Completion: 2016

Clifftop Retreats at Hepburn Springs was one of the first collaborations between architect Robin Larsen and developer David Penman. Keen to create a unique rural experience for those traveling from Melbourne and those travelling from overseas, the brief was for strong architecture that would take advantage of Breakneck Gorge, directly below.

Given a steep site and a mature pine forest planted 40 years ago (pines are not a protected species), the brief was to create three substantial guest units (approximately 150 square metres each) that would take advantage of this unique environment. However, rather than present the full ‘picture’ immediately upon arrival, guests initially experience the elongated Corten steel façade, punctuated with only a few elongated windows (for privacy). Crossing a bridge to reach the front doors of these suites also adds to the adrenalin rush.

As this accommodation is located in a fire-prone area, the materials include Corten steel, fibre cement sheeting and glass. The wedge-shape suites include porthole apertures in the exterior Corten blade walls to frame the bush and allow for additional light. And as each unit is unusually large, there was an opportunity to included two bedrooms, each with an ensuite with a bath, along with a generous open plan kitchen and living area. As with the exterior, there’s also a strong industrial aesthetic expressed with the interiors. The kitchen, for example, includes an exposed steel beam that’s backlit and used like a shelf, and recycled timber above the joinery adds a worn patina. And in the living areas, black steel frames a window seat that cantilevers above the terrain. This inclusion of dark materials not only creates a sense of cocooning in the bush, but as importantly, magnifies the surrounding forest and the gorge directly below.

 Those seeking an experience rather than simply rudimentary accommodation in a bushland setting, will be pleased to discover Clifftop Retreats, a short drive from Daylesford. And while the lake at Daylesford offers a calmer and more reflective environment, here one’s more conscious of the rugged outdoors and getting as close to a gorge as one could possibly be. These units now frame Larsen’s Clifftop Containers, a later project, providing an entire suite of elevated buildings that have a strong connection to the gorge.

Text by Stephen Crafti