HOUSES 129 ALTERATION + ADDITION 127
Products
Roofing:LysaghtSpandek
inColorbond‘Surfmist’
Externalwalls:Baggedand
paintedPGHBricksandPavers
Commonbricks;rendered
masonryinDuluxAcratex;
AllFabQldmetalscreensin
whitepowdercoatedfinish;
Hardwoodweatherboardsin
Dulux‘VividWhite’
Internalwalls:PGHBricks
andPaversCraftedSandstock
bricksin‘Greenway’;CSR
GyprockplasterboardinDulux
‘LexiconQuarter’
Windows:Customwindows
byTimberware;Aneeta
WindowsTwoPaneSashless
DoubleHungwindows
Doors:Customdoorsby
Timberware;Custommetal
gatesbyAllFabQld
Flooring:Honedandpolished
concretefloor;polishedblackbutt
floorboards;CeramicheKeope
PercorsiExtratilesin‘Pietra
diVals’fromMetroTiles
Lighting:HavitTivahWhiteUpand
DownWallPillarLights;Domus
Mini-eyesteplight;TovoKingston
recesseddownlight;Ledlux
Surfacedimmabledownlightfrom
BeaconLighting
Kitchen:Mielecooktop,oven,
rangehoodanddishwasher;
Ilveteppanyakicooktop;
AbeyPiazzadoublesink;
TeknobiliFlagtapfromReece
Bathroom:AstraWalkerbasin,
IconmixerandOldeEnglish
tapware;KadoNeuefreestanding
bath,LaufenProAtoiletandRam
Yevafloor-mountedbathmixer
fromReece
Heatingandcooling:Jetmaster
Universal fireplace insertFortress-likewallsprotectthisfragileinnersanctuaryfromtheoutsideworld.Onentrytothehouse,thesenseof“arrival”issuspendeduntilthe
pathwayfromthefrontgatereachesitsnaturalterminusata raisedplinth,
halfwaydownthelengthofthesite.Thecourtyardgardenisthenrevealed
slowly,viatheslidingmotionoftheentrydoor.Thevisitor’sgazeisencouraged
tofocus,firstlyonrockyground,thentobedrawntowardthetree,then
skywardstotheapexofthenewroof,beforefinallyrestingonthemonolithic
chimney.Thechoreographyofthissequenceiscarefullyconstructedand
presentsthewalled garden as prelude and finale to an unabridged architectural
encounter.
Theexperientialopportunitiespresentedbythecentralgardenextend
beyondfleetingmomentsofpassage.Thecourtyardisa livingroominitsown
right,opentotheskyandyetprotectedfromthesunbyhighwallsinthe
morningandeveningandbytheshadeofthetreeatmidday.It’sthego-to
spaceonsummerafternoonswhenthegardeniscastinshadow.Inwinter,when
leavesfallfromitsbranches,thetropicalbirchtreeadoptsanentirelydifferent
character,becoming“anaturalworkofart”thatremainsthevisualcentrepiece
ofthegarden.Astheclimaticregulatorforthewholehouse,thecourtyard
deliverssunlight,breezeand outlook to rooms around its perimeter on both
groundandupperfloors.
Informulatinga climate-responsivearchitecture,MyersEllyetttook
inspirationfromthemodernisttraditionsofotherhot-climatecountries,
namelyBrazil,andinparticulartheworkofOscarNiemeyer.Echoinga design
movemasteredbyNiemeyerinDasCanoasHouse,NewFarmParkHouse
achievesa “freeplan”bymeansofimpressivestructuralspansofformed
concretesupported,inthisinstance,byslender,concrete-reinforcedsteel
columns.“Thefreeplanallowslivingroomstositseeminglyinthegardens,
erodingthesenseofenclosureandpreservingdirectsightlinestogardens
andlightbeyond,”Jadesays.Theconcretefloorsplayanotherimportantrole,
their thermalmasscontributingtotheregulationofextremetemperatures.
Ina buildingthatisotherwiseinfluencedconsiderablybythe
InternationalStyle,theeccentrichippedroofimpartsuponthearchitecture
a regionalsensibility.InBrisbane,whereundulatingtopographyallows
suburbanlandscapestobeviewedata distance,therecognizableroofform
sitscomfortablyatthecityscale.Roofgeometryalsoplaysa partintheclever
bookendingofthesite,witha truncated hipped form placed neatly over the
pool pavilionattherearboundary.
Thisprojectprovesthatinthesamewaythatarchitecturemightnever
fullyreachitspotentialwithoutconsiderationforthelandscapeit connectsor
contains,thememorableexperiencesoflandscape rely upon the material and
structuralcommitmentofthearchitecture.
NewFarmParkHousedeconstructsthequalitiesandexperienceslatentwithinthehistoricQueenslanderandtheadjacentNewFarmPark,and
reconstructsthe two in new ways to make an original and captivating house
and garden.
2
Alteration
+ additionBrisbane,
QldSite 746 m²
Floor 445 m²Design 10 m
Build 1 y 3 mPerm²
$3,000Couple2 5