Architects: Still Space Architecture
Project: Old Weatherboard House Addition
Location: Sydney, Australia
Photographer: Brett Boardman
This is an addition to an old weatherboard house set within a large garden. The idea was to create a separate sleeping pavillion linked to the existing cottage via extending the old verandah. This creates a separation of sleeping and living areas and links all spaces with the verdant garden. Moving between the two wings, you take in views to the lush gardens. This allows a more tropical connection to the garden.
The new building forms a courtyard to the front of the house and a sense of enclosure to the north facing pool, providing privacy and blocking out the neighbouring 3 storey brick building. Materials are contrasted to highlight separation of form between old and new structures.
The new building is double skin brickwork to provide a solid building in contrast to the timber cottage. The walls are insulated cavity to improved thermal and acoustic performance.
The pavilion transitions from one storey to three storey as the site falls to the garden. The scale of this is controlled by the roof form falling steeply to the street. Solid to void ratios on the façade, and material changes ease the height and mass of the form. The built form reads as a simple rectilinear form with pitched roofs, in keeping with its suburban context. The massing of form on the site minimises overshadowing, heat gain and strategically blocks and frames views.
A central stair in the home, is open to the sky and garden views. Its sunken alcove allows for a quiet space within, to dwell and relax. Colour has been used to define the volumes within creating intimate spaces for rest and exterior Turquoise glazed bricks reference the fresh cool reflections of the pool.
The house functions as a flexible space for the occupants with the built-in internal structure designed to enable for future adjustments and provides multi-generational use in the separation of private and public spaces across day and night.
Functions of living and sleeping areas, of day and night, are separated by the verandah, with quieter sleeping spaces carved within the new brick pavilion. Moving from sleeping to living areas allows open interaction with weather and light variations.
The pavilion is located on the western boundary, with an enclosing brick wall, the pool façade to the East is transparent and operable. And perforated screens modulate light and channel views into the surrounding rainforest like garden. A small footprint warranted specification of high performance robust materials, increasing the longevity and functionality of the house.
