Riversdale Kyneton

Riversdale is a cohesive family home that explores the intersecting notions of heritage and sustainability, in the context of a rural landscape.
Established in 1881 as a former gold mine and set against the backdrop of the Malmsbury Reservoir, Riversdale is a heritage-listed Victorian cottage with a sympathetic, modern extension. The ambition for the family residence was to create architecture that responded directly to its context and topography, achieved through the application of original site materials. The property has been in the family for six generations and remains a cherished family residence. The owners are deeply appreciative of the spatial and material characteristics of their original home and sought to complement rather than imitate the existing structure.
Contemporary and passive design elements have been carefully balanced with the context of the original home, as the owners look to continue their stewardship of the property for years to come. Set against a rural backdrop of the Malmsbury Reservoir, the client sought to restore and modernise their heritage-listed Victorian cottage, adding a sympathetic extension to form the heart of the home.
The home pays homage to the original structures and landscape through the reuse of site materials, the interiors are dappled with salvaged bluestone and timber joinery, imparting a warm and authentic aesthetic to the living spaces. Recycled red bricks from site were repurposed into hallway steps and the fireplace hearth in the master bedroom, providing a tactful assimilation of old and new.