Forest Road House, Victoria

“Our family's always been interested in Australian architects and always sort of admired the work of Glenn Murcutt and Peter Stutchbury and architects abroad like Tom Kundig as well,” says Wiesebrock. “Bringing into this house all these ideas and studying and researching those architects, and particularly the ways that they define space and structure, was really the foundation for the core concept of this house.”

That foundation takes physical form in the rammed earth wall that runs through the centre of the home, inside and out. Built with material from the strata of the nearby You Yangs, the wall gives the building both character and stability. Its deep red tones and textured surface ground the interiors, while its mass helps regulate temperature throughout the year.

“The contractor was reluctant to use it in the first instance because he said it’ll have these rich red blowouts and divots in it, and I thought, well, that’s kind of exactly what we want,” reflects Wiesebrock.

Every material and detail was chosen with intention. Rich, light-absorbing materials are concentrated to the north, while the utility areas to the south are bright and reflective. A white plasterboard ceiling helps soften and bounce light throughout the home. Even the galvanized steel awning outside contributes to this play of light. “During winter, the sun hits that and then bounces up onto the white ceiling and then washes down into the space,” Wiesebrock explains.

This approach utilising mass and the reflection of sunlight creates a home that performs beautifully year-round, with sun shading systems playing a key role.

Selecting Sun Shading

“Part of the brief was to be connected with the garden at all times from the house,” says Wiesebrock. “Being located in southern Victoria, where summers are hot and winters are chilly, summer shading was critical, as was allowing maximum sun in winter to hit the rammed earth wall down the centre of the house.”

To achieve this, Shade Factor supplied a combination of Warema external venetian blinds and a motorised pergola awning, both integrated into the architecture. The blinds provide precise control of sunlight and heat throughout the year.

“The big benefit of having external blinds in the summer months is stopping the sun hitting the glass in the first place and eradicating that thermal gain,” says Wiesebrock. During the cooler months, the same blinds can be angled to reflect soft winter light deep into the interior. Their silver finish complements the home’s palette while “helping to direct the light onto the ceiling, giving this beautiful, soft, diffused light all day long.”

The Warema pergola awning extends this comfort outdoors, shading the north terrace—the family’s favourite gathering spot. “In the warmer months, the pergola awning opens up and provides complete sun shading over that terrace and the glazing,” says Wiesebrock. “It also allows that glazing to be completely open and that indoor-outdoor connection to happen.” 

When retracted, the awning reveals open sky and views of the garden. “That’s the beauty of it,” he says. “When you don’t need it, it allows that openness, and when you do, it provides exactly what you want.”

For Wiesebrock, working with Shade Factor was about more than function. “From the initial concept, they made it part of the architecture as opposed to just a bolt-on afterthought,” he says. “Once it’s integrated, when they’re retracted you don’t know they’re there—but when they’re down, you’ve got full control of the system.”

In this project, thoughtful design, local materials and responsive architecture work together to create a calm, light-filled environment for a family that values simplicity and connection.