Concept & Inspiration
Our clients were seeking a clever and compact home. The owners had restored the front of the house with the utmost respect before we arrived and were wanting help to create a functional home with a small footprint.
Project Name: Coburg House
Studio Name: Lisa Breeze Architect
Location: Coburg, Australia
Photography: Caitlin Mills
Project size: 136 m2
Site size: 424 m2
Completion date: 2017
Building levels: 1
We achieved this with a combination of re-purposing the existing spaces and adding a small extension to the side and back. We turned the old Living room into a Bathroom, Powder Room and walk-thru Laundry. Then opened and expanded the back of the home to create a new Living, Meals and Kitchen area with a strong connection to the Backyard. We played with the ceiling forms to create spaces within spaces, and used a number of skylights to bring soft natural light into the centre of the home. We also paid homage to the simple heritage details of the era by referencing the overall form and textures of the old Californian Bungalow.
Materials
Sitting on a plinth of recycled bricks, the 3D timber cladding of the extension creates a lovely shadow play on the rear form, a quiet reference to the shadow and depth that traditional weatherboards provide. We followed the timber and brick theme indoors with a recycled brick boundary wall that forms the back of the entertainment unit, storage and desk. Plus recycled timber flooring, timber bench tops and a timber window seat with secret storage surround.
Sustainability
Sustainability was very important for everyone involved in this project, particularly the client, architect and builder. It was primarily achieved through the implementation of basic sustainability design principles. By responding to the existing conditions and site orientation, the solutions included a reliance on cross ventilation for cooling, deep window reveals and deciduous vines for shading in the summer. In addition to the use of recycled materials plus low maintenance and durable finishes inside and out. Most importantly the re-purposing of existing spaces and a restrained overall footprint were key to the overall design solution.
