Latitude 37 x Aych Architects Partnership

Latitude 37 has joined forces with Aych Architects in a new partnership that will see clients offered experienced architectural guidance and designs for their custom home. Strengthening the extensive existing in-house capabilities of Latitude 37, clients will now have the opportunity to work with Hugh Feggans, Director and Principal Architect of Aych Architects, to bring their dream luxury home to life.

We got the chance to speak with Hugh recently about his approach to design, as well as a deep dive into his two recently completed Mt Eliza projects in collaboration with Latitude 37.

In line with Latitude 37’s vision to create long-lasting bespoke homes for clients, Aych Architects brings another dimension of style and architectural design to the current client offering.

Established in 2009, Aych was founded by Hugh Feggans, a Melbourne-based architect with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in architecture from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT), ranked in the Top 3 Universities for Architecture in Australia. Specialising in predominantly residential, commercial and muti-residential projects, Hugh has successfully established Aych as a boutique custom architecture studio.

Hugh’s design philosophy is driven by a desire to create incredible and impressive buildings where the typical moments experienced by its owners are elevated and heightened. It’s this partnership of uniquely tailored design, to create effective and highly usable spaces, that continues to drive Hugh’s success to date.

This new partnership allows clients to meet with Hugh alongside Latitude 37 at the very beginning of a project including briefing, designing and concept planning. Hugh listens to the clients’ vision of what type of home they’re trying to achieve, as well as their lifestyle priorities and needs. Based on this, Hugh then undertakes the design process with the client to capture the exact ideal the client is looking for.

Since 2006, Latitude 37 has successfully navigated the unforeseen challenges and flow-on effects from worldwide events such as the Global Financial Crisis in 2007-2009, and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-2022. The organisation’s ability to move through these difficult market conditions without any client impact is a testament to the company’s structure and leadership.

Case Study: Retreat House

Latitude 37 has recently collaborated with Hugh Feggans on two completed projects located in Mount Eliza. The first of these is Retreat House, a secluded luxury home immersed within surrounding bushland. Featured on The Local Project, the residence offers an open feel without ever feeling exposed, with its clever design tucked away from street view.

See Hugh’s responses to some questions about the design of the house:

What is your favourite design element about Retreat House? 

The home’s connection to the site, both in terms of how it is physically integrated into the slope and maintains internal sightlines through the home to the external landscape.

The fall of the site is quite dramatic, it really adds to the overall composure of the building and how it sits within the site/landscape.

Retreat House is about prioritising well-being of residents – why was this an important consideration in designing the home?

Critical to designing a building, let alone a home, is creating an environment that evokes a personal connection or emotional response – it’s the ultimate measure of its success.

How a building can transform your experience of living with it and in it is a key critical part of the design process – it’s the value that architecture can bring to ensure that even the most mundane of living rituals is an elevated and enjoyable experience when in a home like this.