Applecross House

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BACKGROUND: Applecross House was designed by Martyn Hook as Principal of his architectural practice Iredale, Pederson and Hook, to fulfil a client's brief for a building that would endure time, evoke a sense of permanence and a sense of already existing on the site. Brick was the natural choice that immediately met this requirement. CONTRIBUTION: This project explored one of the oldest and most humble of materials - 'brick' - and the capacity to exercise material restraint while applying this to a 1300m2 residence. The brick unfolds over five stories, with each level interpreted differently through the storytelling of brickwork. At a finer level, brick patterning slips and slides continuing the sense of movement. The resulting effect is a sense of the brick's mass as simultaneously heavy and light. This project demonstrates the practice's contribution to architecture that embodies a unique design response of innovation and delight. SIGNIFICANCE: This project won 2 major awards at the 2016 Think Brick Awards: the Horbury Hunt Residential Award and the Grand Prix. Think Brick Awards celebrate contemporary Australian architecture that features innovative use of clay bricks, concrete masonry and roof tiles. In 2016, the Awards jury considered a record number of projects, with the twenty-five finalists selected from over 330 entries. Applecross House was also nominated as 1 of 38 projects chosen for the 2016 WAN (World Architecture News) House of the Year. It was reviewed in Architecture Australia, Australian Design Review, ArchDaily and Architecture and Design.