Hover House by Bower Architecture

Hover House is a private home located in Mt. Martha, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Hover House by Bower Architecture:

“Hover house is a residence in beachside Mt. Martha (Victoria, Australia) re-imagining the single dwelling courtyard on a rear battle-axe block. The project brief was for a tranquil, sustainable and private home filled with natural light, warmth and texture. As privacy and outlook were limited the concept sought to create a captivating internal focus in the form of a central courtyard.

In order to maximise natural light, budget and privacy a simple sectional gable shape was extruded through the east-west axis of the house. This resulted in a form that efficiently collects rainwater, incorporates sustainable passive systems and emphasises views to distant gum tree canopies.

Adaptability varying weather and external circumstances was critical to provide the clients, friends and family with a functional home all year round. Sliding doors and timber screens allow for the flexibility of each bedroom wing to be open or closed independently from the main living space also aiding energy efficiency and privacy.

Hover House is a “replicable prototype for cost effective, high-amenity housing” (Nigel Bertram, AIA Victorian Architecture Awards Jury 2014) suitable for other sites where a hostile outlook invites the creation of a meaningful inward focus.”