Paul Couch worked for Robin Boyd and, though little known, has all the hallmarks of Australian modernism. He built Toolern Vale for his family in Macedon Ranges Shire, Victoria, some 50 years ago, and his sculptures and unique expressions live on in the landscape.

In Toolern Vale, north-west of Melbourne, the jungle is grey and green, washed away like an old photograph. The trees were old, gnarled and covered with peeling bark. Where the ground litter has thinned, lichen-covered rocks and tawny moss hold ponds firmly in place. Amid the remains of branches and shade, a concrete wall weathered for about 50 years resonates with its surroundings. It has the color of sun-bleached gum, and trees cast shadows on its rough surface. There is no doubt that this is a relic.

When Robin Boyd died in 1971, Paul Couch, who had worked by his side for more than a decade, decided it was time to start his own career. The house in Toolern Vale, his first solo venture, was built by Couch himself as a refuge for his young family. Whether or not it was, it felt like a preordained declaration of the hallmarks of his later work: the materials were raw, the volumes sculpted, the light subdued, the details handmade and unpretentious.

Like Robin Boyd, Paul Couch's work is unabashedly Australian and sharply modern. The earthen materials of Toolern Vale, the holistic form, sheltered courtyards and deep, dark doorways reveal the influence of Robin Boyd. However, the difference between the two is striking :Robin Boyd's secluded courtyard backs on to the desolate landscape, while Toolern Valley is harmonic and stretches out to embrace the landscape.

The house sits high on a hill overlooking the granite ridges of the Geelong Plains and You Yangs Mountains.Upon arrival, a gap in the facade forms an entrance courtyard. Crossing the threshold, everything slows down, creating an atmosphere that pervades the house: views are diverted and light is controlled. Concrete on the left and right, cropped vistas dot the dark rooms inside. Straight ahead, a heavy wooden door slid open to reveal Paul Couch's "big glass pavilion" and the jungle beyond.