To live in a John Wardle-designed home brings closer the shifting patterns of the landscape. Since 1986, when Wardle founded his Melbourne-based practice, he has remained passionate to creating residential properties that engage with the fragile Australian environment.

Despite Wardle’s numerous awards for residential design, it was his civic projects that garnered him an invitation to exhibit at the Australian pavilion in the 2010 Venice Architecture Biennale.

Having won commissions for large-scale projects at universities across Australia, and trumped international architecture firms for the coveted Westfield Sydney Central office tower commission (which upon completion will open as a 6 Green Star design), Wardle’s commercial sector credentials are unquestionable.

Nevertheless, "residential tugs at my heartstrings, it is so much a part of our history," says Wardle, who grew into his profession under the tutelage of the residential-focused partners at Cocks Carmichael and Whitford.

When Wardle first visited the 24-hectare Mornington Peninsula property on which his Vineyard Residence design is located, he was struck by a stand of remnant manna gums and stringybarks on the edge of the working vineyard. From here the rise and fall of the landscape dominated the view. His clients had highlighted the spot as a potential site, and Wardle concurred it was ideal for creating a "theatrically arranged living space", reflecting its location.

"The patterns of agriculture industry and the forms represented by the ribbon of grapevines is reflected in the house," Wardle says. "The columns on the balcony, for example, line perfectly with the breaks in the vines. And the stone wall reflects the patina of the gum trees."

Raw materials are an essential aspect of the house: the stone was quarried locally, the timber was sourced from Victoria and every surface is devoid of foreign sheen. Natural ventilation is a focal point and the home utilises solar passive design concepts by way of vast floor-to-ceiling windows. But Wardle doesn’t believe in formulaic sustainability design principles. The vineyard house has environmentally friendly features, but they are specific to the site, which is paramount.

"There are formulas, but we tend to always start with the site," Wardle explains. "For example, we’ve looked at a lot of very specific initiatives for a house we’re working on in Ballarat, which has a 6 Green Star rating, like geothermal energy and careful audited materials."

The key to sustainable design is continued research, says Wardle. He fears the rating system will stagnate. "We are a practice that is embedded in research," he says. "It is at the forefront of most of our projects ... Every project is an opportunity to push things into the future."