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‘Limerick House’ by Solomon Troup Architects is a modest, 50-metre-squared addition to an existing home, in Eganstown, just outside of Daylesford in Victoria’s spa country.
Set on a large plot of rural land, the existing house was insular, and like so many older style homes, failed to connect to the outdoors, or capitalise on the surrounding landscape. The new extension gives the original house a new lease on life – re-orienting the home, offering expansive views, and a new connection to the outside. Two large steel doors serve to frame the view of the undulating country hillside, whilst in summer they can be opened to allow the internal spaces to become an extension of the outdoor area.
Black-stained timber decking boards have been used to clad the new building – a bold new take on the ‘weekend cabin’. Constrasting silvertop ash lining boards were used internally, whilst a distinctive pitched roofline was inspired by the existing roofline of the original home, and nearby shearing sheds.
‘The original house was owned by our clients’ father, who built it out of three disused railway cottages,’ explains architect Lachlan Troup. ‘It was important to the clients to retain the essence of the existing house, whilst readapting it into a fit-for-purpose weekender, to be used by future generations.’
A husband-and-wife team, Lachlan Troup and Beth Solomon of Solomon Troup enjoy the ‘human’ element of their role as architects. ‘Building a connection with the client is what we enjoy most about all of our projects’ Lachlan explains. ‘Designing a house for a client is a very personal experience, that in most cases evolves into a lasting friendship’.
