Scotchmans View Farmhouse in Bellarine home, Victoria residence, Australian real estate, New property images

Scotchmans View House in Bellarine, Victoria

13 August 2025

Architects: Design by AD

Location: Bellarine, City of Greater Geelong, Victoria, Australia

Photos: Tatjana Plitt

Scotchmans View Farmhouse, Bellarine, Victoria, Australia

Taking inspiration from farmhouses past, Scotchman’s View Farmhouse reinterprets tradition through a contemporary and refined lens. Looking to what captures life within a modern Australian context – while also referencing deep roots to living within a rural setting – the aim was to help express the owners themselves through the form, and through an overarching simplicity and openness.

Located within Melbourne’s Bellarine Peninsula, the site is comprised of three main forms that all serve their own purpose, not dissimilar to the formation of out-buildings within a farm. Throughout, a clear emphasis on craftmanship and integrating handmade elements was crucial, as well as longevity and robustness befitting the location. Embracing and celebrating natural materials, the result captures a sense of place and an honouring of locality through a curation of Australian-made fixtures, artwork, sculptures, and lighting.

Together with landscape architecture by Kate Patterson Landscape Architects, Scotchman’s View Farmhouse was built by Heycon through a considered and collaborative process. With views that stretch out over the bay toward Melbourne CBD, it sits uniquely, grounded in a more remote
sensibility in where the earth and building meet. While the original relocation by the owners was spurred by a want for more space, the location and offering has also reshaped how the family use the home, requiring a multi-generational approach.

Allowing for children of all ages to have their own place – while also including a dedicated retreat area for the adults – the planning and zoning overlaid across the site allow for both a flexibility and a clear delineation when needed. The eastern side is dedicated for adults, while a central living area is defined by its lofted and vaulted ceiling, pulling people together into a light and air-filled zone that also connected visually outward. In avoiding the prevailing winds, the overall footprint is shaped in a U from above, pushing the weather to move around the home and toward the existing windbreaks within the landscape.

In listening to and responding to the terrain of the existing site, the form is oriented to optimise on natural light and air and lessen a reliance on outside energy sources throughout the year. The creation of monolithic and more solid elements on the site such as the rammed earth forms, act as both statements of permanence, while also capturing and holding heat and cooling. Together with the stone chimney column that houses a triple-sided fireplace to gather around, the use of warm and rich textures both internally and externally strengthens the protective nature of shelter in its barest form, and a needed resilience to the location.

The overall approach behind Scotchman’s View Farmhouse was to create a home that felt open and provided opportunities for connection. Balanced with contrasting moments for intimacy and recharging, the result is one that aims to encourage a connection to one another, and to the enviable landscape.

What are the sustainability features?

Design and layout is orientated to capture north light whilst designed to protect occupants and external living areas from prevailing south westerly winds.
Nestled into the downwards slope (north) of the typography along with utilising the existing Pine windbreak (west) to the west, helps protects the house from winds and summer afternoon sun.

Thermally broken coupled slab.
Standard raft slab construction. 50mm xps condensed foam insulted over the top prior to 100mm heated slab over. Along with slab walls.
Vented wall cavities
Vented roof cavity
Thermally broken windows throughout using aws thermal heart series

Stormwater is captured via 2 x 20,000L water tanks.
1 tank for fire fighting.
1 tank for potable water use.
Overflow is then fed to a dam and natural stream that feeds the counting paddocks giving back to local agriculture.

Sewer is treated onsite via an awts system.

Durable Low carbon materials
– rammed Earth using local sands
Low carbon footprint
Insulted bulk walls into hallways have high thermal mass radiating heat into the living wings
Has an average of 48kg embodied carbon per m³

– Thermally modified cambia ash cladding.
Carbon negative cladding

– Stone cladding
Low carbon footprint

– lime ventian render to bathrooms.

All 3 main materials along with Steel roof/cladding, concrete slab and glazing are 100% recyclable.
Hopefully this house never sees the recycling process but if time came is would mean the bulk part of this house could be recycled and given a new life.

majority of materials products fixtures and finishes are locally sourced / manufactured in australia.
this was important to us from the cladding to the taps and lighting that we wanted to ensure we where supporting local australian production.

– no gas
– durable australian made materials.
– durable australian made materials.
– heat pump hws
– operable windows located for cross ventilation
– Daylight maximised , LED fittings
– 24kw Solar PV system with battery. down at existing shed
– high performace aluminum thermally broken double glazed windows with low -e

What was the brief?

Proposed New dwelling
Previous clients of mine approached me during the first lockdown of covid with the aim of getting back to there roots buy buying a rural propertyand looking to renovate that house on there. and create there last 7 forever home.

301-319 scothmans Rd was the first and only site we saw and the aim was to extend the existing dwelling on site.
the home sat under a beauitful 100 year old magnolia tree but had a lot of con’s.
close to street orientated the wrong way and infested with temrites.

This led straight to the idea lets create something new and of our own.

The original intent was to desing the house in same location around this stunning maglnolia. after many floor plan Iterations & surveys the view and the wow factor to move in within the centre of the property away from street.

The brief of the new house and locaiton was to create a contemporary generational farmhouse.
design to allow older kids there own adult space.
Must use the natural stone which was similar in the last project we did with these clients.
angled directly exactly 30 degrees towards the melbourne CBD.
Initially the idea was to make this off grid.
as the design grew. so did the electrical load.
the house has an $80,000 solar and battery system at the front shed / front of property
24kw with battery.

Once the approx. location was set we were faced with a dwelling with the challge of desiignin a house in essentially a middle of a paddock with no great protectetion from sun a bay / bass striaght winds.

Scotchmans View House in Bellarine, Victoria, Australia – Property Information

Architects: Design by AD – https://designbyad.com.au/

Project size: 516 sqm
Site size: 177596 sqm
Completion date: 2023
Building levels: 1

Engineer: Azstruct Consulting Group
Landscape Design: Kate Patterson Landscapes
Stylist: Jacqui Addison
Builder: Heycon
Swimming Pool Builder: East Coast Swimming Pools