An Architect’s Own Seaside Dream Home (House Tour)

An architect’s own seaside dream home, Ocean House embodies the desire to both reconnect to and shelter from nature. Crafted by Rob Mills Architecture & Interiors on behalf of its client and director, Rob Mills, the house provides experiences that are outside the scope of a city.

Located in Lorne, a seaside village on the west coast of Victoria, Ocean House rises from a steep slope overlooking the Great Ocean Road. “I searched for a special block of land to build our home on for quite a few years,” says Mills. “It was essential that we captured the view of the water, the ocean crashing on the rocks and the beach below us. That meant we had to raise the living room level to about 14 metres above natural ground level, which is an extraordinary height in Victoria.” The result is an architect’s own seaside dream home, both settled among the treetops and embedded in the ground, offering a multifaceted experience of place.

“There are subterranean rooms in Ocean House that are cave-like, and there are bedrooms with quite small windows compared with the pavilion style of the living rooms,” says Mills. The unique treatment of the bedrooms emerges from a clear conception of how such spaces should be experienced: “You’re cocooned, you’re protected,” explains Mills, “you’re in your own space, and the world’s very much a distance away from you.” The rest of Ocean House prioritises views, indicating the personal nature of an architect’s own seaside dream home. “Whenever I build for myself, my objective is to look out into the world and see nature. I want to be immersed in the wilderness. This land borders the National Park, so the view, extraordinarily of the forest, to me is just as exciting and important as the view of the ocean beyond.”

At the heart of an architect’s own seaside dream home is the living-kitchen-dining area. In Ocean House, the zones are united by the same featured materials: concrete, timber and glass. “We tend to choose materials and fabrics, paint colours and timber colours that are as close to the natural state of the material as possible,” says Mills. “The timber, which we put a whitewash into, reflects the trunks of the trees and the forest behind. The glass – which in summer when the sun’s shining, reflects the blue of the ocean, and when it’s a cloudy day, turns grey – again, it reflects the environment as it is in that moment.” The materials establish a soothing interior in which an occupant’s gaze can effortlessly move from one element to another.

“The overriding aim, I think, is to create something that's truly casual to live in, that lacks any pretension,” says Mills, “so when you lay about and recover from your busy life in the city, the environment you're sitting in is also casual.” Ocean House is essentially restorative; an architect’s own seaside dream home fostering a complete sense of wellbeing.

00:00 - Introduction to the Architect’s Own Seaside Dream Home
01:01 - A Special Location
02:07 - The Wilderness Focused Objective
02:35 - Creating Different Experiences Through Layout
03:27 - A Calm and Soothing Material Palette
04:32 - Designing For Casual

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Photography by Tom Ross.
Architecture, interior design, styling and landscape design by Rob Mills Architecture & Interiors.
Filmed and edited by Dan Preston.
Production by The Local Production.

Location: Lorne, Victoria, Australia

The Local Project acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land in Australia. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our country and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.
#Architect #OceanHouse #DreamHome

[marinathomas]

I loved this architect's presentation - authentic, clear and no fluff. And the house is so gorgeous, dynamic and simple at the same time. It is as much a tree house as a beach house. Who can get more lucky than owning such a happy escape? I wish I could be invited here for a holiday.

[mrvk]

I love seeing older houses on this channel. A lot are newly built ones and the architects are talking about how "beautifully" they would age, but you never see it. Here you can see it. Honestly, I am not a fan of how raw concrete ages but the rest of the house is perfectly harmonious with the trees and rocks that surround it - very pleasing earthy colors, very soothing. I loved those windows and how the upper level looks over the ocean and tree tops, or more likely inside a forest look. This house feels like it belongs in that landscape.

[MichaelMolina-lvzm]

This home is the definition of ‘Peace’

[architecturaldream]

“Inevitable” is how architect Steven Harris describes successful architecture - Ocean House exemplifies this. The engagement with the forest is exquisite. “The eye gentle travels from one material to the next” - the very definition of how materiality can calm our bodies, reset our minds, recover our spirits. Everything about this home is geared towards its purpose. Exceptional.

[eck]

Exceptional place. Eucalyptus forest on the one side and ocean on the other side, what a beauty.

[luulu]

Could listen to the architect all day 😊

[BillWoodillustrator]

Rob has a voice that’s easy to listen to.

[wildlifegardenssydney]

I really liked hearing about this beautiful house from this architect. I loved the way it was conceived and built to really be immersed in gorgeous nature. Absolutely perfect spot bordering onto the national park and the seaside. The softer muted hues of nature in the finishes for the eye and mind to calm and connect with nature beyond. I am up high in the trees and love to watch birds, trees and nature from my old house….I would love to retrofit large floor to ceiling tripple glazed windows to drink in the view, like this house does. What a joy to wake up to that. Congratulations.

[WellEditedCo]

Beautiful home! And what an incredible setting. The bedroom reminded me of a ship’s cabin, perfect for the location.

[grigorisgirl]

A beautiful house that has the air of a liner against the sea. I’d need art in the walls though.

[genyamoore]

It would be a dream house for me for sure. So elegant, so embracing nature…

[ikea_wizard]

His voice is very soft and relaxing to listen to. The music was also not too loud.
Overall nice house, the glass would be a pain to clean though.

[michaelnicola]

Beautiful presentation, sublime home. Thank you for sharing

[Throneproperty_th]

It is such a beautifully designed home – every room is a testament to great taste and style.

[Ren-]

The location is great.
The overall feel of the house is quite massive and in my opinion disrupts the natural surroundings.

[tima]

We need more house design similar to Seascape. Please 🙏🏻

[realleescoggins]

Beautiful design. Congratulations Rob!

[CAM-nnbx]

So much considered thought went into this home, stunning 😊 !!

[adeinthelife]

Your video was suggested, i really liked your message, it is a journal entry and I appreciate your vulnerability and honestly, it is ok to move slow and really be more self aware, it is a life journey. Thank you for your video. - watched the entire video.

[althe]

Design concepts superior. Note how the concrete staining resembles the peeling native tree bark. I'd remove the pretentious "ocean house" lettering and increase outside deck area and deck overhang. More deck and overhang would increase the tree house effect.