This small suburban project is underpinned by three design strategies: to alter as little as possible, to introduce circular routes and to exploit the corner location.
The house was built in 1960 and substantial alterations were made in 2000. The clients understood further change could quickly compromise the original design. Their brief for ‘more space’ was achieved by minimal alterations, within the existing footprint.
As part of the re planning, doorways and routes were carefully considered, with circular routes introduced within the house and linking the house to the garden.
The new roofed terrace opens the house to the northeast for sun, views, garden access and interaction with a prominent corner of the relatively lively street rising to O’Connor Ridge.
Through small interventions, the rituals of suburban living are enhanced and revealed to the street, a public demonstration of the value in retaining the suburb’s cultural and material embodied energy.
2017 AIA ACT Award for Small Project Architecture
2017 AIA Derek Wrigley Award for Sustainable Architecture