Designed for farmers deeply committed to sustainable agriculture, Farm House by Archier is both a contemporary refuge and a working component of the land. “We asked ourselves how our clients could live on this land in a modern but thoughtful way, what a modern farm and farmhouse should and could look like, and how we could integrate the building into a site that has been historically cleared of its bushland,” Archier director Chris Haddad explains. The final result is a home that references traditional Australian outbuildings, designed for a growing family.

Substantial in form, the farmhouse provides a sense of permanence in an environment shaped by unpredictable weather and open terrain. Sustainability is embedded in both the farming operations and the home itself, with Gabion walls—filled by the owners with rock from the site and neighbouring farms—providing thermal mass and an organic connection to the land. Orientation maximises solar gain and cross-ventilation to reduce energy consumption, while rainwater collection and efficient irrigation support both the household and the farm. 

The farm’s exposed rocks guided the organic material and colour palette. “We utilised stone from both the site and neighbouring farms to anchor the building into the site, with rough-sawn timber cladding talking to the lost bush land, and a galvanised steel roof which is a nod to the vernacular Australian farmhouse,” Haddad says. These materials, along with the home’s warm, earthy tones, allow the farmhouse to sit harmoniously within the expansive landscape, embodying resilience and a deep respect for agriculture.