Berkeley Residence

Hawthorn

The central and defining theme to this home is water, and the connection of the house to it.

A large pool and spa running along the northern boundary, occupying the majority of this private open space, is flanked to the west by an elevated pavilion serving as the media room, and to its east, a similarly elevated second pavilion housing gym, sauna and change room.

The pool in part, runs beneath each wing and extends further towards the front of the house, passing beneath a glazed catwalk link leading to the media room, and extending to the front garden and entry space.

It is from this arrival point, water is first introduced to signal this as the linking element throughout the property.

Each of the living spaces at ground level and bedrooms above, are in some way connected to the pool through continuous bands of glazed walling.

Likewise, the basement billiards room and bar is connected via a pool window, these rooms benefitting from the northern sunlight filtering to them through the waters above.

The generous frontage to this property has allowed us to flank the central entry point with a seemingly detached single level pavilion to one side and two storey wing plus basement access to the other. The landscape treatments throughout the property have been sensitively dealt with by Eugene Gilligan -Garden Design.

Given the general building form horse-shoes around the north facing pool and alfresco space, all of the living and bedroom spaces receive good northern sunlight throughout the year. This arrangement also affords complete privacy from the street and neighbouring properties, creating a private central oasis for family living and entertaining.