Innehållsförteckning för Issue 111 August 2016 från Houses

Last year was the first time that an emerging architecture practice was awarded Australian House of the Year at the Houses Awards (Planchonella House by Jesse Bennett Architect), and this year is the first time that the highest accolade has been received for the design of an apartment. Darling Point Apartment by Chenchow Little (page 18) is a refined and joyful interior that reveals its beauty in the detail. This dwelling, which also won the Apartment or Unit category, demonstrates that an apartment can be “designed with the same warmth and sophistication as a detached house.” The 2016 Houses Awards jury was particularly taken with the response to the brief, which called for a design that could house a significant collection of Australian art in a relatively compact space. This…

 This simple addition to the rear of an Edwardian cottage in Melbourne integrates delightfully with both the existing bungalow and the garden area. The north-facing addition makes use of a baffle device to protect the house from the sun and as a transition to the garden space surrounding it. As well as acting as a sun regulator, the baffle casts dramatic shadows throughout the day. The garden has been treated as an artwork that serves to bind the new addition and the older cottage. The scale of the addition sits happily with the existing building and the new spaces within are modest in size – yet the light-filled new living area acts as a joyous counterpoint to the rest of the house. The addition, with its light skeletal framework,…

 From beautifully detailed country homes (Goulburn Valley House) to a housing model that faces the challenges of increasing density in Australian cities (Clarence Houses), the body of residential work by Rob Kennon Architects is undoubtedly impressive. Each project presented to the practice is executed with rigour and attention to detail, even those with a tight budget. The interiors are warm and friendly, often using a layering of textures and an expression of structure for character and depth. Catering to the needs of each individual family, these homes are a pleasure to be in. Although the practice has developed a distinctive aesthetic and approach, the unique sites presented to the practice are taken as an opportunity to connect with a new context. Since being established in 2011, Rob Kennon Architects…

ILVE takes its time perfecting its designs so that when it releases a new product, it is well worth the wait. The company consults with Europe’s leading architects and designers – designing not just for today, but also for the future. ILVE creates products that are timeless, such as the new built-in oven range, offering perfectly matching compact appliances with uniformly designed lines, control panels and handle placement. ILVE’s new larger-capacity 750 mm and 760 mm ovens have one-piece trim kits and can be married with any compact appliance flawlessly, such as the Coffee Machine, Microwave Oven, Combination Microwave, Combination Steam and Warming Drawers. ILVE’s new ovens have a European Energy Class A rating, meaning they are efficient, highly functional, eco-friendly and save energy. The new ILVE ovens are also…

Life in the Western world tends to be fast-paced and demanding. We are bombarded with information, overstimulated and contactable 24/7 – it’s no wonder many of us find it difficult to make time and space for our own wellbeing. So when Christie Petsinis and Tim Wilson of Folk Architects were asked to design a private yoga studio in Melbourne, they knew it was a project that would benefit the client immensely. The space was commissioned as part of an alterations and additions job for an Art Deco home. Measuring just 2.7 metres by 3.7 metres, the pavilion sits comfortably next to an orange tree in a corner of the backyard. It beautifully references the forms and materials of the main house, with curved cream brickwork on the exterior, a timber-panelled…

 Naranga Avenue House by James Russell Architect stood out clear of the pack in the New House under 200 m2 category. The project has a sublime, ephemeral quality, with a simple skin of delicate breezeblocks. A close collaboration between architect and engineer made the modular timber frame and skin work with minimal steel. This clear idea for shelter provides occupants with protection that shields them from the sun, lets breezes through the dwelling and mitigates the wet weather (turning heavy rain into a light mist), while also providing for essential privacy and security in the eclectic Florida Gardens 1960s canal estate siting. The focus for the project then becomes the internal courtyard gardens, a transitional series of spaces that celebrates a democratic freedom in the plan – connecting and…

 This alteration and addition reconfigures an existing postwar weatherboard dwelling to house the bedroom areas at the southern end of the site, with the living areas organized around a central courtyard. The courtyard, which is largely a green space, creates the feeling that you are living within a garden. In the joint between new and old sits an outside living area with a recycled brick floor. The space acts as a delightful covered retreat from the sun and rain, and reinforces the casual nature of the house. The project employs many “zero impact” devices, such as solar-powered energy on the north-facing sections of roof, on-site water treatment, reclaimed building materials, and vegetable gardens with chooks and a worm farm. A battened screen serves to wrap around the garden and…

Great effort and restraint have been practised in this outdoor environment, from the complete regeneration and rehabilitation of a bushland setting with endemic species to the experimental bio-pool that required extensive research and commitment. A microclimate was created with a sensitive hand, demonstrating that a small outdoor project can impact significantly on the natural environment. This project is an exemplar for all the community – it advocates an approach to design and the environment that is accessible and does not rely on high technology, and it embraces an attitude that is distinctly Australian. With a sensitive hand and mind we can have our piece of nature, preserve it and share it with others. The riverbanks have been stabilized and the fauna returned to a familiar and safe environment. The garden…

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito might have you temporarily believe the Hollywood cliché of the odd couple as a match made in heaven, but in real life, more successful partnerships are built between people who aren’t opposites, and who have shared values and different yet complementary skills. Melbourne-based architects Juliet Moore and Ben Edwards touch on this idea of collaborative role-playing in describing how they often work together, Juliet thinking in plan and Ben making and remaking boxboard models. Looking at the five residential projects by Edwards Moore featured here, the conceptual rigour of the duo’s shared architectural practice quickly becomes apparent. Each home is defined by a clear and singular solution to site and brief. Spaces are arranged and sculpted to bring light in, to create connections, and are…

 Deepwater is a refined project that brings an understated elegance to its dramatic Bondi Beach ocean-front location. The multi-level off-form concrete structure is a delicate contextual response to the adjacent Art Deco and inter-war apartment buildings and can be occupied as a single house or easily split into two separate apartments to accommodate extended family or friends. The jury was impressed with the handling of this difficult site, particularly in consideration of the local council’s stringent planning requirements. The house is not overly ostentatious; rather, it is clever and efficient in its relatively modest configuration to deliver a clear vision and resolute architecture in the design concept of “house as tower.” It responds with grace to the curious rugged, eroded rock base and established urban character. Detailing throughout is…

 Designed to house an extensive art collection, this apartment fulfils the pragmatic brief through the considered design of the many joinery pieces that open to reveal paintings by Jeffrey Smart, John Coburn and Lloyd Rees. The design delivers a beautiful, warm and refined interior punctuated with some quirky surprises. The bright Esther Stewart artwork in the lift sits in contrast to the refined interior of floating American oak and painted white steel joinery that defines each room and elongates the sense of spatial depth. The timber of the joinery is repeated on the floors and ceiling, intensifying the contrast with the views of the harbour beyond. The monochrome palette of the main interior is contrasted against the handsome bathrooms, each of which is unique in its design and picks…

 Bayside Fire Station is an outstanding project. Constructed in 1938 as a fire station, it operated until 2004 when it was acquired as a residence. As noted in the heritage report accompanying the entry, it is a modest, functional civic building that plays a prominent landmark role in the street. Its strong symmetry, solid facade and austerity have been well understood by the architects in this brilliantly understated conversion. A series of compelling drawings in three-dimensional format illustrate the design intent of the project and the very sensitive responses to the varied aspects of the original building. The architects have lucidly described both process and end result, from formal compositional interest through to the impact of change on the place and materiality of the constructed project. The design path…

01 DécorMirror surface The silver coating of Viridian’s DécorMirror offers a high level of reflectivity, making a room lighter and brighter. This material is used in the hallway spaces of the Void House, as seen here. viridianglass.com 02 Hi-Macs acrylic solid surface Acrylic solid surfaces can be formed into any shape. They are durable and available in a range of colours and styles. A crisp edge to a kitchen benchtop can be created using this material, as seen here in ‘Arctic White’ at the Cubby House. himacs.com.au 03 Sisal flooring Edwards Moore describes sisal flooring as “sharp and hard-wearing.” Available in versatile colours and textures, sisal flooring is seen here in ‘Belgian Black Kohl’ at the Void House. naturalfloor.com.au 04 Gold mirror laminate Reflective and shiny, gold laminate adds an…