Jury comment
The overnight accommodation at Brae complements the homestead restaurant and expands the hospitality offering for diners. The rooms are approachable, authentic, handcrafted and personal in scale. The jury is impressed by the pleasing balance of the humble and luxurious, the hard and soft, the new and the timeless. Design elements reference the farm shed, contributing to a sense of being anchored in the rural landscape while thoughtful detailing and impeccable finishes elevate the experience. Though the design is highly considered, it’s embracing and comfortable, befitting of country accommodation, which transcends demographics and is open to all. We appreciated the seamless connection to the ethics of the restaurant in the use of local labour resources and materials, sustainable initia tives and in the positioning of local produce as an extension of the restaurant meal.
Design statement
Brae Restaurant Accommodation was conceived and designed to provide a luxury, sustainable rural experience. The restaurant consists of a simple, understated fitout of the old homestead. The accommodation, a new building, references the archetypal utilitarian rural shed in the landscape, folded into its terrain, while providing handcrafted, bespoke luxury. The restaurant is renowned for seasonally sourcing raw produce from the property or local region. There was a desire to bring this careful, considered approach into the crafting of the rooms and restaurant. Simple, robust materials, contrasting hard and soft, and a level of intricate detailing remind you that hands have made and shaped the buildings. The accommodation was built using local builders and trades and designed to have zero net energy use during operation. It achieves 7+ stars on NatHERS, using passive thermal design and simple operational initiatives.
Brae Restaurant Accommodation
4285 Cape Otway Road
Birregurra Vic 3242
+61 3 5236 2226
braerestaurant.com
Six Degrees Architects
Project team: James Legge, Simon O’Brien, John Hajko, Shol Nichols, Aaran Merrill, Emma Serraglio
110 Argyle Street
Fitzroy Vic 3065
+61 3 9635 6000
sixdegrees.com.au
See the whole gallery of images at the Eat Drink Design Awards website.
The 2018 Eat Drink Design Awards are organized by Architecture Media and supported by major partner Shadowfax Wines; supporting partners Euro Cave, Laminex, Latitude, Ownworld, Planned Cover, Roca, Schiavello, Tait; and event partners Four Pillars, Sample and San Pellegrino.
The Eat Drink Design Awards are endorsed by the Australian Institute of Architects and the Design Institute of Australia.
