architecture - interiors - sustainability
alterations and additions to a freestanding house
project
The brief was to transform a 1950’s two bedroom brick house into
a three bedroom contemporary residence with outdoor entertainment areas
and a pool.
Although the design was done by Danny Broe architects the overall result
is collaboration between the architect, owner, and builder. By working
as a team a better result is achieved and the owner has a sense of ownership
of the project. The builders expertise is also valuable at the time
of construction.
The overall strategy was to make the existing living area the master bedroom and extend into the garden with a new kitchen/living/dining room. This creates two zones in the house 1) the bedroom bathroom zone – this zone is cosy and private. 2) The living zone – This new wing of the house is modern and open plan, it opens out to the garden and the outdoors with lots of glass and large bi-fold doors that create a seamless transition from inside to outside.
description
The deck is sited to the north where it is protected from the cold south wind and rain. The eave, windows and louvres are all designed to relate to the geometry of the path of the sun. The design ensures that hot summer sun is prevented from hitting windows and yet the winter sun warms the house. This strategy (used in all of our projects) reduces the need for artificial heating and cooling so that on a cold winter day you can walk barefoot across sun drenched floorboards.
existing plan
proposed plan
The site strategy is to create an environmentally responsive passive and active solar house that maximises comfort, functionality, the relationship to the outdoors and quality of life for the owners. The existing house faced west. However instead of building an extension that faces the hot west sun, we proposed to extend a long wing toward the west that faces north to the warming winter sun and the park beyond.
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The deck is another 'room' of the house thereby increasing entertaining
and relaxing areas. A timber screen provides privacy, the adjustable
louvred roof provides all year round protection from rain while letting
sun in on winter days. A custom designed bench finishes off the space
and is an elegant and useful alternative to a balustrade.
The house is now a cosy haven from city life.
The aesthetic approach to the design is to contrast the form of the existing house with the modern form of the new part of the house, maintaining the integrity of both. To tie the two parts together all windows and doors are at the same height. The floor of the new areas drops down three steps to keep it close to the garden and reduce overshadowing of the neighbour. The kitchen roof tucks under the eave line of the existing roof forming a neat junction and reducing cost that would have resulted from changing the existing roof. The living area roof then steps up higher again creating a spacious volume and a ceiling of of 3.6 metres, highest in the house. The change in ceiling levels creates an interesting variety of spaces.
