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Mornington House is a 165 m² holiday home in Mornington, Victoria, completed in 2024 by Foomann Architects. It is built on a steep triangular block shared with an older family holiday house, so the design had to satisfy a two-storey limit, graded flood-plain conditions, bushfire requirements and neighbour setbacks. The solution is an elevated timber structure with a curved stair at its centre, an upper entertaining level opening to bay views, and a lower guest level tucked above a planted undercroft. Rather than hiding its construction, the house makes columns, beams, steel plates, timber floors and acoustic ceilings part of the interior experience.
What is Mornington House by Foomann Architects?
Mornington House is a private retreat for a couple who wanted a home focused on bay views and entertaining while sharing the block, pool and driveway with an older holiday house used by their adult children and their families. Foomann Architects positioned the new building at the top of the triangular site and lifted it above the ground so the landscape could continue beneath and around it.
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The architects describe the result as allowing occupants to be “floating over the landscape, while being embedded in the surrounding greenery.” That dual experience—elevated structure with close contact to planting—organises both the building’s section and its circulation.
How does the house deal with its steep triangular site?
The site rises on an approximately 20-degree gradient. Planning and construction were further constrained by a two-storey maximum at any point, graded flood-plain conditions, a bushfire rating and required setbacks from neighbours. Green Magazine reports a footprint of about 100 m², with less than 50 m² touching the ground.
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Why is the building lifted on stilts?
Stilts reduce the building’s physical contact with the slope and leave an undercroft where planting and landscape can pass beneath the house. This approach avoids treating the steep block as a level platform and preserves views through the site. It also creates the fernery that backs the television room on the guest level.
How do the curved walls and raked form help?
The arrival façade is intentionally restrained and timber-clad. Curved walls follow the winders of the stair, lifting the building higher on the triangular block while widening bay views from each level. The raked volume follows the stair angle and gives neighbouring properties additional setback, turning circulation and planning compliance into one architectural move.
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The 165 m² plan is split between a social upper level and a more private guest floor, linked by a curved stair volume.
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Upper living level
Kitchen, dining and living areas open directly to a large entertaining deck. Side windows frame surrounding greenery, while tall glazing and a double-height void bring the bay and sky into the main room. A mezzanine bedroom overlooks the living area and the landscape rather than sitting in an enclosed corridor.
Lower guest level
A second curved stair volume descends to two bedrooms oriented toward the view. The television room is backed by a fernery in the undercroft, giving the lower floor a planted outlook and a direct relationship with the ground plane even though the main structure is elevated.
Which materials and structural details define Mornington House?
Foomann Architects developed an unconventional timber structure with Fido Projects and Astleigh Consulting Engineers. The structure is not concealed behind a finished interior; it supplies the visual order of the rooms.
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- Timber frame: Exposed timber columns and beams define spaces and make the load-bearing system legible.
- Mass-timber subfloors: These form finished ceilings below, allowing the underside of the floor construction to remain visible.
- Steel connections: Steel connection brackets and plates are left exposed. Indirect light fittings are integrated into steel plates beneath beams.
- Wall construction: SIP wall panels are concealed, while OSB shadow lines on joinery reveal how the building is assembled.
- External cladding: Vertical and horizontal spotted gum boards express the exterior frame and provide a durable timber skin.
- Acoustics and flooring: Wood-wool acoustic ceilings add texture and sound absorption; recycled timber floors bring another layer of visible material history.
- Curved joinery: Built-in furniture and joinery repeat the geometry of the stairs, carrying the circulation concept into everyday use.
The combination produces an interior where structure, services and finish are closely integrated rather than separated into a structural shell and a decorative fit-out.
Who designed and built Mornington House?
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Architect | Foomann Architects |
| Builder | Fido Projects |
| Structural engineer | Astleigh Consulting Engineers |
| Landscape construction | Inspired Landscapes |
| Photography | Willem-Dirk du Toit |
How much did Mornington House cost?
ArchiPro gives an indicative price range of A$2 million–A$3 million. This is a listing estimate, not a verified contract sum, and it should not be read as the final construction cost or as a current quotation for a similar project.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was Mornington House shortlisted for an award?
Yes. Houses Awards listed Mornington House on the 2025 shortlist in the New House under 200 square metres category. The category is consistent with the project’s reported 165 m² floor area, but the shortlist recognition does not establish a construction budget or performance rating.
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What can this project teach designers of steep-site holiday homes?
Mornington House offers a clear set of comparison points for other constrained coastal sites:
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- Ground contact: measure how much of the building actually touches the site; here, the reported contact area is less than half of the 100 m² footprint.
- Expressed structure: decide whether columns, beams and connections can remain visible and contribute to the room’s character.
- Views and movement: use stair geometry, raking and curved walls to improve outlooks while meeting setbacks.
- Landscape continuity: keep planting and habitat moving beneath the building instead of replacing the slope with a continuous slab.
- Material maintenance: evaluate the long-term care of spotted gum cladding and exposed timber in a coastal, bushfire-rated setting before adopting the palette.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Mornington House described as “floating” if it is a solid timber building?
The phrase refers to the way the elevated structure sits above a planted undercroft, not to a literal cantilever or suspended building. Residents remain visually connected to greenery and the slope while occupying raised living spaces.
Does the reported A$2m–A$3m figure represent the final price?
No. That range is an indicative ArchiPro listing estimate. The available project information does not publish a verified contract sum, so it cannot be used as a definitive benchmark for construction pricing.
What is the purpose of the fernery beneath the guest level?
It is a planted undercroft feature positioned behind the television room. The fernery gives the lower level a green outlook and helps the landscape continue through the area beneath the elevated house.
Who photographed the completed project?
Willem-Dirk du Toit is credited with the project photography on Foomann Architects’ project information.
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