Image Credit : Jaime Diaz-Berrio
Project Overview
Albert Park curved pleated façade is a sensitive addition to an intact single storey polychrome Edwardian villa for a young family with three children. The Heritage overlay ensured the retainment of the fine existing residence with strict controls with the new build. Additions comprise a bold and distinct two level extension and a separate garage studio.
The additions were configured as a two level north facing extension and a separate complementary garage studio separated by a sun filled courtyard. The two offset pebble shaped forms resolves the conflicting site alignments and satisfied strict planning requirements one of which required a clear demarcation between new and retained building. The new soft forms are a quiet recessive presence in the rear lane, backyard context. New elements and materials complement the brick, slate and bluestone of the existing residence.
The commitment to undertake a renovation validates the desirability of the location and when done well, revitalises the heritage quality of the precinct. The refined contemporary additions are a reflection of the clients quiet modesty. The home accommodates all the spatial requirements and relationship expectations with the delight, generosity and activity a young family expects from a well considered and designed home.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Architect - AdeB Architects, Alfred de Bruyne, Michael Dore deb@adeb.com.au
Interior Design - Mim Design, Miriam Fanning, Kristiina Reeve miriamf@mimdesign.com.au
Interior Decoration - Mim Design, Miriam Fanning, Kristiina Reeve miriamf@mimdesign.com.au
Landscape Design - Ben Scott Garden Design, Ben Scott ben@benscott.com.au
Structural Engineer - Clive Steele, Ian Flanders ikf@clivesteele.com.au
Builder - Warwick Constructions, Warwick Matthews warwick@warwickconstructions.com.au
Specialist Metalworker - McKinna Sheetmetal, Ray Miller ray@mckinnasheetmetal.com.au
Project Brief
The significant narrowing of the small 349 m2 long site and the desire to create a comfortable family home of 390 m2 with a sunny courtyard of a reasonable size was the design challenge. The site orientation, flanking wide lane and the desire to have a north facing primary façade to the living space and master suite was the genesis of our design concept.
Functional, spacious casual spaces, with low maintenance, practical finishes combines with impressive aspects of good ceiling heights, top lit double height spaces, rich materials and finishes and quality integrated services. A simple modest home from the outside and impressively glamorous and special within.
The heritage overlay in this desirable precinct ensured the retainment and restoration of this fine single storey Edwardian villa. This involved the full replacement and reconfiguring of the slate roof to create an attic storage and a fully concealed plant platform. The verandah roofing and trims replaced and brickwork repointed. Flooring and internal walls replaced as well as windows, doors and fireplaces.
A reductive approach of keeping the compositions simple by concealing the presence and expression of the windows is achieved with full-height pleated, perforated metal screens contained within crisp head and sill plates. The profiled aluminium screens are finished in a metallic bronze powdercoat and extends across the entire length of the facades. This treatment and finish complements the existing residence in an appropriate and balanced manner.
Project Innovation/Need
The most successful aspect of the design is the creation of a contemporary home expressed as a refined, restrained presence within the heritage precinct. Form, massing, composition and an elegant surface treatment were key design considerations. The historic existing home was retained and sensitively restored.
The practical casual lifestyle expectations of a young family and the demand for appropriate accommodation requirements are contained within the simple, understated additions.
The sunny, light and bright home delivered with a restrained sophisticated modesty to the wishes of the clients. The curved forms and the full height pleated screens distils the presence of the additions to a simple intriguing and refined composition of metallic bronze perforated pleated facades to the highly visible additions of this residence.
A reductive approach of concealing the presence and expression of windows is achieved with full-height pleated, perforated metal screens contained within crisp head and sill plates. The changing transparency, shadow and reflective qualities across these surfaces, animates the restrained façade internally with a special dapple light quality.
A reductive approach of keeping the compositions simple by concealing the presence and expression of the windows is achieved with the full-height pleated, perforated metal screens. The metallic bronze powdercoat profiled screens extend across the entire length of the facades to provide privacy screening, and passive sun shading. Screens across windows are operable to facilitate window cleaning.
Design Challenge
The laneway presents the residence with great visibility and presence. Bold pebble shaped plan forms of the additions resolve conflicting site alignments and satisfied strict planning requirements as well as achieving a clear demarcation between new and retained building. The slate roof was replaced and reconfigured to create a large attic store and concealed plant platform.
A decision to go beyond the usual ‘black box addition’ solution results in the soft ovoid form of the upper levels adopted. The rounded shapes expressed with a simple uniform façade treatment present as a recessive and subservient presence within this exposed rear lane, backyard context.
The significant narrowing of the small 349 m2 long site and the desire to create a family home of 390 m2 with a courtyard of a reasonable size was the design challenge. The site orientation, flanking lane and the desire to have a north facing primary façade to the living space and master suite was the genesis of our design concept. This diagonal alignment also maximises the visual length and engagement with the sunny courtyard.
The historic fabric of the existing home was retained and restored. The brief was successfully achieved for a generous, comfortable and distinct contemporary home and courtyard for this young family with three children.
Sustainability
The arrangement and massing of the pebble shaped additions ensured optimum solar access to the courtyard without compromising any of the neighbours amenity. The north facing facades are protected by overhangs or the feature facade screens.
Optimum insulation strategies applied with bulk insulation and sarking to the walls and roof. Double-glazing throughout for the windows and skylights with either timber to the historic residence or thermally improved aluminium frames to the new. Natural light introduced to internal spaces with generous skylights.
Concrete floor slab edged insulated with overlay of insulation for hydronic coils. Heating and cooling is a combination of in slab and radiators and an efficient reverse cycle split system. Good cross ventilation strategies quietly integrated. Full height, fully recessed sliding doors provide effective compartmentalisation to the various areas of the home. Water harvesting with a 2,000 litre in ground tank.
The pleated perforated screens provide a unique integrated passive shading strategy to the elevated additions and the expansive windows and imbues the home with a distinct contemporary character.
Architecture - Residential - Constructed
This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow.
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