A Life Outside with Clare Cousins

As an architect and director of her eponymous Melbourne-based practice, Clare Cousins is keenly aware of the relationship between interior and exterior. Whether through vistas or physical presence, the restorative power of nature plays a part in her work, studio and personal life.

Brick House with landscape design by Eckersley Garden Architecture, and Hislop House with landscape design by Amanda Oliver Gardens. Photography by Tom Ross.

What comes to mind when you think of A Life Outside?

Whether large or small, having access to green outdoor space is essential to a life well lived. It could be an apartment balcony or community garden, wherever it is, fill it with plants. We’re fortunate to have a lush green courtyard at our studio. In warmer months we spend time outside, but it’s also wonderful to have a garden vista from our meeting table inside. Even when we’re indoors, that connection to nature is restorative.

Esplanade House with landscape design by Fiona Brockhoff Design, photography by Sharyn Cairns. Long House with landscape design by Eckersley Garden Architecture, photography by Tess Kelly.

What is your overall intention/objective when designing spaces?

When designing a house, I see the outdoor spaces being just as important as the interiors. The experience of the garden begins before you reach the front door, with the entry sequence often moving through landscape. Inside, as you move from one room to another, different garden vistas are revealed. Rather than thinking of a house as simply having a front and rear garden, we often look for opportunities to create multiple gardens – courtyards, planted edges and smaller outdoor spaces, both within and around the house.

Mornington House with landscape design by Eckersley Garden Architecture. Photography by Tess Kelly.

Could you share your process for designing spaces, particularly integration with outdoor spaces?

In Melbourne, our gardens are often experienced from the comfort of inside, particularly during the cooler months. This makes the relationship between interior and exterior incredibly important. The threshold between inside and outside is a key focus when we’re conceiving a project. We consider how spaces open to the landscape, how views are framed, how light changes throughout the day, and how gardens can be experienced from different parts of the home. It’s about creating a strong connection to the outdoors, even when you’re not physically outside.

Courtyard House photography by Tom Ross. Garden Room House photography by Shannon McGrath. Landscape design by Eckersley Garden Architecture.

How have the great Australian outdoors influenced you as an architect?

The Australian landscape has been deeply inspiring to me, both personally and professionally. I grew up holidaying along Victoria’s rugged Surf Coast, visiting my grandparents’ sheep farm across the vast volcanic plains of the Western District, and spending many hours in the magical gardens designed by my uncle, Rick Eckersley. They are very different landscapes, but each has shaped the way I think about place. They offered lessons in climate, topography, texture, composition and, importantly, longevity.

Carlton Terrace, with landscape design by Fiona Brockhoff Design. Photography by Sharyn Cairns.

What does sustainability mean to you?

Longevity is a key focus when designing a project that will endure. As is passive solar design (optimising the orientation and passive heating and cooling of a house), as well as being mindful of construction material origin, composition and durability. Landscape is another important opportunity. The gardens around our projects can contribute to regeneration, biodiversity and habitat for fauna. For me, sustainability is ultimately about making thoughtful decisions that allow buildings and landscapes to have a long and positive life.

Quick 5

Most inspiring outdoor space?
Victoria’s national parks are great inspiration. Victoria’s alpine areas, Grampians, Otways, Point Nepean. I love observing endemic landscapes thriving self-sufficiently.

Favourite regular outdoor hangout?
My weekly early morning walk with dear friends inside Melbourne’s Botanic Gardens. We often have it to ourselves which is such a great way to start the day.

Favourite outdoor sculpture/piece of art?
I have fond childhood memories of playing on Inge King’s Forward Surge (commissioned 1973, installed 1981) when we’d visit a performance at Melbourne Arts Centre or Hamer Hall. Its large wave-like forms continue to delight children of all ages.

Must-see Australian landscape?
Eastern View beach along the Great Ocean Road. Many childhood beach days were spent here as our family beach house was in Fairhaven. We’re very happy to have two client houses currently under construction that overlook this special part of Australia.

Favourite Tait piece?
A Tait classic, the Volley Lounger.

Published 26 October 2023
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