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Architect Zac Bunston’s first visit to the River House village was life changing.
The year was 2019. Zac was a university student, who had just been introduced to the pioneering work of architect Peter McIntyre, which led him to the possibility of a job.
‘I still clearly remember my first visit to the property — I couldn’t believe a place like this existed,’ says Zac. ‘It felt like you were two hours from the city, when in fact, you were only 10 minutes.’
Soon after commencing work for Peter, Zac began living on the Kew site covering six acres with river frontage and city views.
It’s a remarkable estate, especially considering its origins. When Peter purchased the land as a student for £300 in the late 1940s, it was generally considered too steep and flood prone to build on.
Peter soon proved them wrong, designing the innovative River House (also known as the Butterfly and McIntyre House), which cantilevers above the floodline, and is now considered one of Australia’s most architecturally significant homes.
A similar structural approach was also utilised for Peter’s design of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics Swimming Stadium.
Multiple buildings designed by Peter and his practice McIntyre Partnership Architects have been added to the Kew site over the years — each house offering a slightly different feel based on its exact location and time of build. The land also contains its own roads, walking tracks, steps, and lawns.
Zac has lived in most homes in the village, before moving into the Tea House in 2023 with his partner Isobel Winneke, landscape architecture graduate at Taylor Cullity Lethlean; and friend Charlie Howcroft, co-founder of Good One Creative.
Built in 2005, the Tea House is perched high in the treetops, connected to both the buzz of the people on the nearby bike path and rowers on the river. Its features and material choices are characteristic of McIntyre Partnership Architects’ work, showcasing a similar ‘ski lodge’ feel to the Dinner Plain alpine village designed by Peter in the ‘80s.
The Tea House remains in near original condition, styled with a ‘gallery’ of prominent artworks by Angus White, who used to live in the home, and Louis Howcroft.
‘In winter, the open fire rarely goes out, the smell of burning red gum fills this space, and much like a ski lodge, it becomes the heart of the house, bringing everyone together,’ Zac says.
Zac is now the director of architecture practice Bunston, but he continues to live and work on the Kew site, and remains deeply inspired by Peter’s ongoing legacy.
‘The spaces that we live and work in, shape who we are, what we do and the work we create,’ says Zac. ‘Living and working on this property has been the best introduction into the world of architecture that I could have wished for.
‘And of course, the lifestyle is hard to beat. No commute — just a short walk down the hill. I can pop home for lunch, and our Friday knock offs are spent on the balcony.’
