Project: Doyle Residence
Architect, interiors & construction: Glasshouse Projects
Location: Alexandra Avenue, Rose Park, South Australia
Project size: 180 m2
Site size: 1100 m2
Completion date: 2021
Photo Credits: Aaron Citti
Doyle Residence is an extension and partial restoration of a character villa located in a historical conservation zone, in one of Adelaide’s premier suburbs, Rose Park.
Situated on a 1100sqm block, with rear access and a north facing established garden, the extension comprises an open plan living area and kitchen, laundry, powder room, outdoor entertaining space, and a home office and library.
We weighed the need for a considered approach which respected the streetscape in the conservative area, whilst appreciating the requirement to add significant space to meet the client’s brief.
Creating a flat roof form allowed visual minimisation of the overall build and scale, whilst the incorporation of a cantilevered mezzanine, added much needed space as a home office and library, whilst also serving as a roof for the outdoor entertaining area. This mezzanine, perched above the kitchen and living and framed in oversized glass sustains this essential connection to busy family life below.
The large windows across the rear of the dwelling take full advantage of solar gain and light provided by a north facing aspect, whilst a large skylight bridges the new extension with the older part of the home. A key design element was the perforated steel staircase which added a subtle and undemanding form, appropriate for its dominant location in the extension.
“We loved the red brick wall that was part of the original home and wanted to keep it as a focal element to transition to the modern extension. We had to rebuild whole sections of the wall as it wasn’t structurally sound. Sourcing pallets of old bricks to ensure a texture and colour match was certainly a labour of love”, mentions Lead Architect, Don Iannicelli.
What was the brief?
The clients were a family of 5, with three young children. They wanted to create something contemporary and urban, without it feeling like (their words) an ‘airplane hangar”. They wanted to add a kitchen, laundry, powder room and an undercover entertaining space. One of the clients worked quite late into the evening after the children had gone to bed, so there was a need to create a decent home office and library with some connection to the rest of the home. Having three active kids, there was a requirement for extensive storage and manageable areas to deal with the ‘clutter’ of everyday life.
What were the key challenges?
We were sensitive to the location of the home in what is a very conservative area. As such we needed to respect the streetscape, whilst working towards the client’s brief to have a modern interpretation for the extension.
Even though the block was 1100sqm, we wanted to keep the established garden and the clients were keen to not extend much past the boundary of the current home. We had to be clever with space, knowing that a significant footprint was needed to ensure we could meet the brief. We were thrilled we were able to add over 190sqm of home without encroaching on the outdoor space.
The detailed cantilevered timber box was probably the hardest element of the design and build. Regular meetings with the engineer were held in the design and construction phase to achieve it floating effect, ensuring that structural support and construction integrity were maintained. Having a key understanding of the design and engineering parameters, and being able to transfer this to the construction phase in working alongside trades was paramount to achieving the end result.
What were the solutions?
In line with its industrial feel, the highest part of the ceiling was 6m, as such, fenestration was a key feature, guaranteeing plenty of light and connection to the outdoor spaces. The large windows across the rear of the dwelling take full advantage of solar gain and light provided by a north facing aspect, whilst a 9.8m rectangular skylight extends the complete southern end of the extension, bridging the new with the older part of the home. The framed aluminium doors extend fully, allowing the space to have greater association to the outdoor entertaining areas, which comes in handy for extended family gatherings.
An integral feature was to retain the original red brick wall marking the boundary of the original home, however structural issues meant it needed to be rebuilt. It was painstakingly remade brick by brick, using those bricks salvaged from the wall and sourcing recovered bricks which matched the colour and texture, to make up the difference. The expanse of brick is moderated by custom timber joinery, breaking up the visual pattern.
The perforated steel stair was a carefully crafted design element, appreciating the need for an undemanding form considering its dominant location in the extension. We worked closely with our design engineer and stair fabricator to detail and execute this piece. Numerous workshop meetings, testing prototypes and inspecting the fabrication at various stages ensured our vision was realised. It’s one of those features that work so seamlessly in the space now, you hardly give it any thought, but it was an important resolution for us to realize.
Client Testimonial:
Glasshouse Projects designed and managed our recent renovation and we were very happy with both the process and the outcome of the project. We were impressed by the team’s honesty and attention to detail. Our appreciation of the quality of the design and the care that was taken in implementing it has only grown in the year or so following completion. We would unhesitatingly recommend Glasshouse for anyone who is looking to create something unique. S& B Doyle, Doyle Residence
