Houses Australia – August 2019

HOUSES 129 ALTERATION + ADDITION 119

Products

Roofing:LysaghtTrimdek

inColorbond‘NightSky’

Externalwalls:Smooth

renderedconcrete;Skheme

Rossoterracottatiles;

powdercoatedaluminium

brise-soleilinColorbond

‘ManorRed’

Internalwalls:Paintedtimber

liningboards;SkhemeRosso

terracottatiles

Doors:Steel-frameddoors

inColorbond‘ManorRed’

Flooring:Honedconcrete

flooringwithexposedaggregate

finish;TiscaSabacarpetfrom

HalcyonLake;DalsoupleDaltex

PastilleAlphavinylin‘BleuPaon’

Lighting:ArtemideAggregato

Saliscendipendant,Dioscuriwall

lightandShogunlamp

Kitchen:Customjoineryin

OregontimberandLaminex

laminatein‘Black’;Artedomus

Antiliavitrifiedtiles;DeFazio

granitebenchtops;Fisherand

Paykeldishwasher,fridgeand

freestandingcooker;Ilverange-

hood;AstraWalkertapware

Bathroom:Signorinoterrazzo;

Oregontimberjoinery;Astra

Walkertapwarein‘EcoBrass’

Externalelements:EcoOutdoor

Endicottcobblestonepaving

Furniture:ArflexMarenco

sofafromPoliform;MarkTuckey

OxoScorchedcoffeetable;Thonet

Hoffmanndiningchairs;Artek

Stool60;FermobLuxembourg

chairfromDesignNation;Grazia

and Co Anchor side table

A pavedcourtyardthatopensouttothenorthernwintersunfromthe

kitchenanddiningareawasinitiallyimaginedasa poolwhereyoungchildren

couldbecloselymonitoredfroma numberofadjacentroomswithinthehouse.
Thereisstilla smallpoolontheproperty,butit’snowtuckedbesidethe

garageattherearentrancetothesite.Whileremainingclearlyvisiblefrom

thehouse,thisentertainmentareahasbecomea spaceforolderchildrenand
moreindependentmodesofplay.Meanwhile,freedfromtheresponsibility

ofholdingandsecuringa spaceforswimming,themaincourtyardbrings

peopletogetheraroundanoutdoorfireplace,framedbya dramaticgridded-
steel brise-soleilandthetexturedbrickworkoftheneighbouringproperty.

Fromthecourtyard,it ispossibletoregistersomeofthedeceptively

complexoperationsofthebeautifullydesignedbrise-soleil.Morethanjust

a unifyingfacadeelement,thestructureprotectsboththegroundandfirst
flooroftheprojectfromthesummersun,whileallowingthenorthernwinter

suntoreachwellintothepolishedconcreteslaboftheadjoiningkitchenand

diningarea.Maintainingaccesstoventilationandlightacrossthefirst-floor
bedroomsandday-bedniche,thedepthofthisfinelyexecuted oxidized-red

framealsoprovidesa highdegreeofprivacytotheseareas.

Themovetowarda morecontemplativehearthspacewithinthe
courtyardatthecentreofthehomehasalsoshiftedthefocusofthesitting

roomsoneithersideofthisarea.Whiletheloungesituatedwithintheexisting

footprintofthehouseturnsinwardthroughtheuseofwarm,texturedcurtains,
a sunkenconcreteroomattheverycentreofthepropertysitsunderthe

eponymousoak,generatingstrikingviewsupthroughitsextensivecanopy.

Sincetheproject’scompletioninOctober2018,thisconcretereading
roomhasbecomea much-lovedquietspace,pushedouttothenorthern

boundaryofthesiteandtoonesideoftheeverydaycirculationpathsofthe

house.Itisalsoa roomthatsitsbeyondtheboldlinesofthegranitekitchen

table,whichoftenactsasaninitialgatheringpointforguests.Infact,thiswas
anotherlessonfromtheprocessoflivingwithintheoriginalspace:despite

theintimatescaleoftheterracehouserooms,theclientsandtheirvisitors

wouldoftenfindthemselvesconversingandlaughingaroundthekitchentable.
Insteadoflosingthisexperienceentirelywithinthenewspace,thearchitects

allowedthekitchentabletocontinuetoactasananchor,while also generating

a moreexpansivezonethroughthemiddleofthehouse.
A projectlikeOakHouse– boldbutsensitive,eclecticyetunified–

speakstoa considerableleveloftrustandcollaborationbetweenclientand

architect.Inthiscase,thecloserelationshipbuiltovera numberofyears
hasproducedanexciting,refinedsetofspaces,whichrespond carefully and

thoughtfully to the evolving needs of its occupants.

2

Alteration+

addition

Melbourne,

Vic

Site 550 m²

Floor 354 m²

Design 8 m

Build 1 y 2 m

Family + 1 study

4 3