Designed for a professional couple and their three children, the Page Street House involved the creation of a slender, two level garden pavilion separated from the extensively renovated terrace by a new courtyard.
Project Name: Page Street
Studio Name: Tandem Design Studio
Project size: 181 m2
Site size: 154 m2
Completion date: 2016
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Photography: Dean Bradley
Rather than add directly on to the rear of the existing building, the two storey extension is separated from the existing terrace by a courtyard. A slender link and bridge on the south side of the courtyard connects the buildings. The extension blends the regular, orthogonal geometries of the streetscape with the functional requirements of internal space and town planning, in particular to preserve neighbour’s access to natural light.
The counter-rotating volumes of the extension are a simple formal strategy, enabling transformations to meet these requirements. Adjacent outdoor and indoor spaces are sited below and accommodate the house’s public, social, cooking, play and living spaces.
Within the old terrace, new joinery, stairs and bathrooms follow the dynamic forms of the extension, transferring the theme of contemporary transformation to the interior. A network of skylights bathe the old interior in natural light and create ventilation. On the upper level, the counter-rotating volumes of the extension form contrasting interior spaces and connections to the old terrace.
