Australian studio Rob Mills Architecture & Interiors has completed Howqua River Lodge, a house in the Victorian Alps that functions off-grid and has interiors wrapped in spotted gum timber.
Located in the Howqua Valley, the home was designed for the family of the studio’s founder, Rob Mills, whose father worked for the Howqua Valley Forest Commission and purchased a plot of land in the area.
The gum trees native to the surrounding forests informed the most prominent feature of Howqua River Lodge’s material palette, with Rob Mills Architecture & Interiors (RMA) enveloping its living spaces entirely in planks of dark spotted gum timber.
“Howqua River Lodge has been a passion project for many years – a self-sufficient retreat immersed in the wilds of the Victorian Alps,” Mills told Dezeen.
“This place, deeply connected to my family for generations, holds great personal significance,” he continued. “The home is a place to holiday, unwind, reconnect, escape and adventure.”
“The earthy tones, natural textures and restrained forms of the spotted gum timber allow for the surrounding landscape to take centre stage.”
Howqua River Lodge is organised as three parallel, interconnected pavilions that step down the site, with walls of pale, rough-rendered brickwork and overlapping, sloping metal roofs punctured by angular chimneys.
According to the studio, the material palette of hardwood timbers, stone, and bagged rendering used throughout was chosen to be sensitive and complementary to the surrounding landscape and vernacular architecture, while bringing joy and playfulness to the interiors.
“Howqua River Lodge draws on the traditional forms and materials of the region’s alpine architecture, resulting in a timeless design deeply connected to the natural environment and surrounding landscape,” said Mills.
“We introduced beautiful stones from around the world, playing with colour, light, and texture. We didn’t hold back – we allowed ourselves to be expressive and joyful with the material palette. Like telling a good joke, we believe a home should balance seriousness and playfulness,” he continued.
“On one hand, building is a deeply thoughtful and considered but on the other, there’s a playful spirit that brings a space to life and is the essence of a good interior.”
Two volumes containing the bedrooms and a rumpus sit to the south, while the northernmost volume is given over entirely to an open-plan living, dining and kitchen space, overlooking the landscape through three almost entirely glazed walls and sliding doors.
Glazed corridors connect each of these volumes internally, while outside, they are linked by a terrace that wraps the home’s perimeter.
This terrace provides the bedrooms with small sit-out spaces and expands to form a larger dining terrace to the north.
The sloping roofs of each volume sit above clerestory windows that pull light across the timber-lined ceilings of the interior and into more private spaces, such as the bathrooms, which are finished with pale pink and cream plaster walls and marble fittings.
To the east of the home, a fire pit sits alongside a circular, stone-paved terrace with a plunge pool and daybeds. Tucked alongside the bedroom volumes on the opposite side of the home is a sauna and cold plunge pool.
“By continuing the timber across the ceilings, the interior becomes deeply connected to the land, creating an immersive and grounding experience,” said Mills. “We distilled down to the minimum number of materials to design with and the use of timber is an example of that.”
Enabling Howqua River Lodge to operate off-grid is a large solar array on its roof, as well as a rainwater collection system with wastewater managed through a closed-loop worm farm. The home also features a bunker and dedicated water storage as part of a bushfire preparation strategy.
“Though designed for off-grid living, the lodge makes no compromise on comfort,” said Mills.
“State-of-the-art systems operate seamlessly, allowing the home to perform efficiently. Here, sustainability is seamlessly integrated, enhancing rather than defining the experience.”
Other off-grid homes in Australia recently featured on Dezeen include Heather’s House in rural Victoria by Gardiner Architects and Cooroy House by design duo Henry Bennett and Dan Wilson.
The photography is courtesy of Rob Mills Architecture & Interiors.