The Living Space category in the INDE.Awards is always overflowing with exceptional home design and in 2021 this was no different. From a wide array of entries there could still only be one winner and it went to the incredibly deserving Federal House by Edition Office.

The Living Space category is supported by Gaggenau, which has proudly been a founding partner since the inception of the INDE.Awards. Gaggenau is a brand with an undeniable legacy of quality and design nous, and as such, it is perfectly placed as a partner of this category, pushing the ideal of our homes being a place of sanctuary.

Olya Yemchenko, Senior Brand Communications Manager, Gaggenau, Australia commented, “When looking to design The Living Space, the end result is informed by many factors – incorporating the individual needs of the occupant’s lifestyle and aesthetic proclivities. It is a delicate balance of creating a welcoming, visually-pleasing space that responds with intelligence to its local context and culture.

Gaggenau design represents a symbiosis of tradition and the avant-garde. Each intuitive, unique interaction, even those beyond the minimalist interface, reward the touch, sight and ultimately taste. The design is more than what you see, it is what you touch and feel.

We understand that it is the sum of all the parts that creates the full picture, providing a holistic experience for a life, a culture or a home. This is why Gaggenau has continued to support the INDE.Awards and The Living Space since its inception.”

Federal House expresses an honest understanding of shelter. With no air-conditioning, all spaces are naturally cooled with cross ventilation, and cool air is drawn from the pool’s surface, through the cloister fern garden and into the upper living spaces.

The Federal House is a vessel for its owners to both inhabit and enable the experience of place and time – a sanctuary. The project nestles into the folding hills of its hinterland site in northern NSW, acting as an experiential container of place and a conditioning object, while being consciously aware of its outsider status within the traditional ownership and legacy of this landscape.

Yemchenko added her thoughts about the project, “Federal House was one of the projects that stood out for me from the outset. The way the dark finishes contrast with the space, the greenery and the vastness of the outside world, creating a sense of tranquility.

The use of organic materials and various textured finishes are drawing on the natural surrounds. The open plan living, kitchen and dining create an inviting feeling, a desire to congregate. While descending down the stairs to the pool below creates privacy in other areas of the home.

It beautifully responds to the client brief, playing on our various senses and offering a true sanctuary.”

Federal House is modest, yet breathtaking and highlights that bigger doesn’t always mean better. Congratulations to Edition Office on taking out The Living Space, supported by Gaggenau.

Photography: Ben Hosking