Designhunter - architecture & design blog

Herringbone house in Melbourne

Kim McFayden — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:52:42 +0000

Isn’t this extension simply wonderful? The overhaul of this Melbourne post-war home was created by IF Architecture, who praised the owners for being so receptive to the architects ideas, allowing their preconceptions to be thoroughly challenged and culminating in the finished project looking completely different to the inspiration images the owners took along to the first meeting.

The design strategy was to use the context of the existing home and the functional requirements of the clients to conceive the new built form, using the history of the house to literally ‘stitch’ together the old and the new in both the aesthetic details and the construction details. The original house was in poor condition, leaving not a lot to draw from apart from a beautiful decorative pattern on the front door and an amazing art-deco-esque ceiling roses in the formal areas of the house. These remnants became the basis for the external and internal cladding pattern to the extension as well as the tiling pattern used through out the bathrooms and the painted ceiling features in the children’s bedrooms.

The extension features a stunning facade clad in diagonally laid Shadowclad with exaggerated timber joins in a herringbone pattern.

Sustainable features: Northern orientation, natural cross-ventilation, Low E energy efficient glass, Shadowclad and Dulux Low VOC paint was used through out the project.

Products: Jardan living room and dining furniture, Tolomeo micro lights from Artemide, Kartell Ghost stools from Space Furniture, bentwood chairs from Thonet.

[Photography by Andrew Johnson]

Bold floating roof architecture in Boat Harbour

Kim McFayden — Sat, 18 May 2013 00:31:30 +0000

This beachside beauty at Boat Harbour on the north coast of New South Wales was created by Tanner Kibble Denton Architects and stands out for its understated simplicity. This is how the architects described the home:
“With bold floating roof forms and generous glazing this beach house explores the traditional themes of coastal architecture: simplicity, natural light, access to views and outdoor life. Comprising two pavilions, the house opens up with sliding glass doors to decks overlooking the beach to the east, and to a terrace courtyard shielded by high walls to the west. Transparency is a key aspect of the larger southern pavilion with a roof plane giving the impression of floating well above the living space. The second or northern pavilion also has a floating roof and is a counterpart to the living spaces. Used solely for accommodation, the upper and lower levels can be used independently by different generations of the extended family.   The external materials and colours are muted greys and silvers that are sympathetic to the natural colours of the beach and coastal vegetation. Interior materials are simple and responsive to the coastal location, yet with touches of ‘luxury’ – flashes of gold glass mosaics in the bathrooms. The silver ash veneered joinery of the kitchen adds warmth to the open plan living space providing a casual and engaging retreat year round.”

Sustainable features: rainwater collection, storage and re-use, passive design including appropriate orientation, shading, ventilation, position of thermal mas etc.

[Photography by Richard Glover]

A view of the yachts on the bay

Kim McFayden — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:01:55 +0000

Imagine having this outstanding view of Sydney harbour every morning? It must be very rugged! The owners asked Tanner Kibble Denton Architects to create a casual, beach-side vibe with an emphasis on natural light and, of course, the stunning views. They also wanted to retain the modesty and simplicity if the original cottage being replaced. A large skylight in the upper level running the length of the kitchen bench floods the kitchen with natural light that flows down the curved ceiling and onto the joinery below.

The interior palette celebrates the waterside location with laid back class, featuring a striking combination of white against natural timbers, with a slightly nautical vibe. American oak floorboards and oak veneer joinery are used extensively, including an oak veneer kitchen splashback protected by glass, which during the day reflects the moored yachts in the bay.

Construction materials: masonry, concrete, stone, western red cedar and glass.

Sustainable features: water collection, storage and re-use, passive design including appropriate orientation, shading, ventilation and position of thermal mass.

[Photography by Tyrone Branigan]

Designhunter giveaway!

Kim McFayden — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:20:19 +0000

[Entries are now closed sorry]

No we’re not giving away Kevin McCleod but we are giving away one copy of the brand new release season 10 DVD of Grand Designs (UK)!

Grand Designs and design expert Kevin McCloud return in the this tenth series including 8 new ventures as well as celebrating 100 episodes with a truely momentus project. The show “follows the structural, financial and emotional journeys of ambitious couples as they bravely embark on the adventure of a lifetime – building their own homes. Although not everything always goes to plan, these passionate and enthusiastic self-builders are always willing to discuss their design inspiration, structural plans and financial considerations as you watch their perfect home come to life.”

Head to the comments below to enter the draw and give us two words, one word for your favourite accent colour for interiors and the other to describe how you would feel if you won! The entry with the most likes by 4pm Sunday (AEST) will be the lucky winner! Good luck!

(Sorry about this but the winner needs to be in Australia)

Freshwater semi architecture bringing the natural light in

Kim McFayden — Wed, 08 May 2013 02:44:24 +0000

The renovation and extension of this semi-detached dwelling in Freshwater was designed by David Boyle Architect with a key objective of bringing in as much natural light to the narrow South facing aspect. The front rooms and roof line of the existing building were retained and a new 2-storey extension was added to the rear. The roof line was extended to the maximum allowable building envelope, enabling a 14.5 metre long north facing set of louvre windows to access northern light and ventilation into both upper and lower open plan areas via a double height void over the combined kitchen and dining room. The living room opens via a set of French doors through a portal of recycled railway sleepers to a sculptural concrete platform perched within the centre of the rear garden. A timber pergola made from Australian hardwood is set in a sculptural pattern above the rear concrete terrace to filter the light and bounce light into the living room through full height glazing above the French doors. A deep set skylight is installed into the existing structure to provide further light into the entry hallway.

Construction materials:new floor in a polished concrete slab, timber frame, fibre cement weatherboards, windows in plantation grown western red cedar and Australian hardwood, custom Orb and Klip Lok Zincalume roofing, timber pergola made from Australian hardwood and concrete terrace.

Sustainable features: retention of as much of original house as possible, concrete floor for thermal mass, cross-ventilation, heavy insulation.

[Photography by Brigid Arnott]

Palm Beach retreat among the trees

Kim McFayden — Sun, 05 May 2013 22:39:08 +0000

The owners of the original sandstone cottage on this site asked Tanner Kibble Denton Architects to design its renewal and extension for extended family weekends and holiday retreats. The design required contemporary facilities with a new pavilion added amongst the ancient angophoras to accommodate adult children and their growing families, including areas for time spent together and private spaces to retreat to. Maximizing the wonderful northern views along Palm Beach to Barrenjoey Head was also important.

The mature angophora trees were to be retained so therefore the design needed to work around a restricted footprint. This developed into a curved ended form for the pavilion and a covered walkway link weaving between the trees between the pavilion and existing cottage. The separation of the new pavilion from the existing cottage allowed a certain freedom in the design resulting in a solid curved timber form glimpsed through the trees and capped with a floating roof rendering the structure transparent at canopy level.

The new forms are clad in vertical western red cedar boards will be left to grey off to the same colour as the surrounding tree trunks. Sandstone from the site is used extensively in walls and earth rendered walls are employed as linking elements.

Construction materials: earth render made with crushed sandstone sourced from site, masonry, stone, concrete, western red cedar, glass and steel.

Sustainable features: water collection, storage and re-use, passive design to avoid use of air con including appropriate orientation, shading, ventilation and position of thermal mass, retention of mature trees and utilising sandstone on site to create earth render.

[Photography by Michael Nicholson and Lachlan Rowe (TKDA)]

Merricks farmhouse made of earth, glass and timber

Kim McFayden — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 01:05:03 +0000

This striking home designed by Robson Rak Architecture is set on a 10 acre rural farm outside Melbourne. It was bought by a couple with two young boys as a weekender, with plans to build a spacious modern home for generations to enjoy. While the initial brief was for a simple rectangular box, the architects convinced the clients to break up the rectangle to create more interesting spaces and a more dynamic building which offered surprising little retreats. By responding to the natural fall of the land two levels were created to the building with three distinct zones, the effect being a long, low presence on the landscape.

The client’s desire for simplicity and material honesty led to a modest palette of earth, glass and timber. Using one of the oldest and most natural building methods, local sand sourced from the peninsula was used for the construction of the rammed earth walls. The majority of the internal walls are rammed earth creating a beautiful, warm, textural look and feel; taking on a life and personality of their own as they change throughout the day depending on the light.

[Photography by Shannon McGrath]

The Fire Pit house

Kim McFayden — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 00:04:20 +0000

The owners of this striking modernist home in Auckland were so dedicated to the idea of a fire pit that the fire pit was designed first and the house followed! Chris Tate of Chris Tate Architecture says that the brief was for a fun, modernist house that worked well for entertaining.

The fire pit is so obviously the heart of this home, its golden timber seating softening the drama of the high flue and the surrounding polished concrete floors. The blur between indoors and out with sunken fire pit at the junction, makes this the ultimate entertaining space.

Beyond the fire pit, the raw, industrial elements are continued with concrete block walls, black checker plate staircase, polished concrete floors and minimalist furnishings. Geometry and drama are infused into the design through contrasts in shape and form throughout.

Construction materials: bagged raw concrete block walls, black Symonite aluminum panel cladding and frameless glazing.

[Photography by Matt Deeb and Jackie Meiring]

Eclectic interior design for Perth bachelor pad

Kim McFayden — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:30:06 +0000

The ultimate eclectic mancave has been achieved here by Greg Baker of Ambassador Home for his own apartment, which started out an unattractive and pokey space, but Greg could tell the apartment had “good bones”. After 18 months of back breaking work and showering “out of a bucket”, Greg and his father converted the dingy 70′s apartment into the open plan beauty it is today. New openings between bedrooms and living spaces were created and the old internal laundry was converted into a useful, light filled scullery. Integrating the larger bedroom into the living space enabled it to be used as a study/dressing room that related to the main living space. An EcoSmart ethanol fireplace was installed for a cosy open fire, which was only able to be achieved in an apartment setting due to the flueless EcoSmart system. The main kitchen is essentially an entertaining kitchen, with an island bench concealing the fridge, freezer, cooktop and oven.

[Photography by Ross Swanborough]

The ‘Deck House’ in the forest

Kim McFayden — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 05:16:15 +0000

The brief to architect Choo Gim Wah for the “Deck house” in Malaysia was simple: to design an unassuming, simple and ‘modern’ looking house. Built on steep terrain in a lush forest, the home was designed to hug the terrain with minimum interference to the existing slope. Functioning like a traditional tropical house the home features high ceilings, natural light and cross-ventilation and designed as a lightweight construction in steel and glass to achieve a lightweight feeling. The extensive use of glass enables virtually uninterrupted views of the forest canopy.

Designhunter loves…the use of dark windows to highlight the forest views, the stunning paintings and bold coloured furniture.

Construction materials: Steel, concrete, glass and timber floors.

Sustainable features: Most trees adjacent to building were saved, no air-conditioning used due to solar passive principles of solar orientation and cross-ventilation.

[Photography by Kenneth Lim, Gray Studio]

The ‘new old’ house featuring Melbourne laneway art culture

Kim McFayden — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 03:43:02 +0000

With a blank canvas and a mixed context that architect Jessica Liew was asked to create a new dwelling for a modern lifestyle but with the charm of an old home, a house with personality and familiarity that was generous to the owners travels and memories.

The principle of ‘Wabi-Sabi’, the beauty of imperfection, was employed to reflect the owners belief in rawness, honesty and simplicity. This tied well with the architect’s “love for robust, natural building materials; each with their own character and surfaces, worn with history and a story to tell“. The home was designed with these principles in mind, of keeping the architecture ‘honest’ to strengthen the connection between the home and its inhabitants and offered the simplicity of a relaxed, robust and simple layout and vibe for everyday living.

Materials: reverse brick veneer construction with light weight timber construction to upper floor, external rough stucco hand applied render hand, internal recycled tumbled red bricks with rake joint painted matt white.

Sustainable features: northern orientation for solar access, reduction of southern windows to reduce thermal loss, cross-ventilation to cool the house in summer months. The concrete slab and internal brickwork mass acts as a heat battery, absorbing daytime winter sun, and slowly releasing that stored energy at night.

Products: pendant light over the dining table by Christopher Boots and composed simply of steel with patina and Quartz crystals tying back to the idea of rawness. Street artist Ghostpatrol created the Miso mural along the staircase walls to mimic Melbourne laneway art culture.

[Photography by Jaime Diaz-Bierro]

Raw materials with tailored comfort for island retreat

Kim McFayden — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 20:00:17 +0000

Conceived as a camp, this luxury family retreat was designed by Fearon Hay Architects as an arrangement of freestanding structures around a courtyard, set in a saddle above Matiatia Bay on Waiheke Island in New Zealand. While the island can be idyllic, care had to be taken to reduce exposure of the home to high winds. The natural undulations of the saddle have been subtly emphasized to form a protective setting for three structures, comprising living, sleeping and studio areas together with a pool and the open spaces inbetween. An arrangement of retractable glass panels and perforated aluminium screens offer variations of enclosure to the living and sleeping spaces. The raw and robust materials are countered by the placement of fires, the invitation of leather cushioning around a sunken sitting area and the use of linen fabrics and oiled natural timber throughout the spaces.

Sustainable features: concrete for thermal mass, solar energy generation, rainwater harvesting and onsite wast water management.

Soft fit out and interior collaboration with Penny Hay.

[Photography by Patrick Reynolds]

Greenhouse living at Palm Beach

Kim McFayden — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 20:00:21 +0000

This home was a major inspiration behind the design of my own beachside abode (to be featured on Designhunter later this year) and so naturally I think its completely divine! I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below.

What I love most is the relationship the home has with its natural environment, with ocean at the front and lush natural bush to the rear. Tanner Kibble Denton Architects have achieved a design that gives the home a real sense of living with nature, with the house forming a rather posh tent. As beach sites are often prone to strong winds the house has been structured as two living platforms, stacked vertically, enabling a layering of indoor and outdoor living spaces to achieve protection depending on wind directions and sun.

The interior use of various shades of green combined with timber flooring helps to ground the home in its natural surroundings, achieving a contemporary, light and airy beach house. Simple and stunning!

Sustainable features: rainwater water harvesting, solar passive design enabling no air conditoning including careful attention to orientation, shading, ventilation and thermal mass.

[Photography by Lachlan Rowe (TKDA)]

Rustic natural palette at Coopers Beach

Kim McFayden — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:53:06 +0000

This New Zealand holiday home won the prestigious Residential Architecture award from the New Zealand Institute of Architects in 2008, with the judges commenting that the beach house “has an overall feeling of simple restraint. Modest materials used in deceptively simple ways manipulate site, space and light to organise the “bach” in a straightforward, playful and inventive way.” Designed by Dorrington Architects & Associates, the brief involved creating a large holiday home flexible enought for short and long term guests. Privacy from suburban neighbours was a key objective, as was opening the site up to the north and west, capturing and maximising view and sun. Designed with four zone, the house has a bedroom pavilion, a living pavilion, a garage and a linking corridor . The living pavilion sits separately to the north of the bedroom block and references a campsite in homage to the campground that occupied this area for many years. Two sides of the pavilion completely open up, evoking a sense of the casual living of a traditional Kiwi family camping holiday.

[Photography by Emma-Jane Hetherington]

New york loft with warmth and earthiness

Kim McFayden — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 02:34:12 +0000

This loft apartment is in an early 20th century brick and concrete building which was converted from a warehouse and manufacturing facility into condo’s in the 1990′s. When the owners bought the place it feautured “a rather jarring color palette of red, green and blue along with yellowish bamboo”. The clients wanted to create a space that was open feeling, with lots of storage, room to entertain large groups, and a warm and sophisticated color palette. The talented team at Jessica Helgerson Interior Design transformed the space by creating visual interest and contrast by painting the beams a dark earthy grey and the walls a soft yet luminous shade of white. A variety of textiles were introduced, including a hand-stitched felt headboard to the master bedroom, a vintage Moroccan rug and heavy woven fabrics were used to upholster the custom sofa and cushions. . The large scale timber dining table and coffee table add earthiness and warmth to the space. Vintage Eames DKW leather, steel, and wood chairs add pattern and interest and pair well with the dark steel and blown-glass chandelier. A custom designed console table made from antique Chinese doors softens the effect of the large TV while hiding the accessories.

We love: the raw earthiness of the space, fantastic entertainment unit idea and the eames chairs.

[Photography by Lincoln Barbour]

Modern new architectural vision for a cottage in York Bay

Kim McFayden — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 23:46:32 +0000

This beautiful cottage in the New Zealand capital of Wellington has recently received a creative new vision centred on giving a ‘new heart and focus to a small house’. Paul Rolfe Architects created the new vision for the home with a design strategy of connecting and engaging the new addition with the native bush surroundings. A sunken living room was incorporated, giving the feeling of sitting amongst the trees. Recycled plywood feature walls and recycled rimu flooring assist to integrate the architecture into its bush surrounds. Matching weatherboard cladding to the exterior creates a seamless extension, while minimal disturbance to the bushland site has been achieved using timber post and pile construction allowing the extension to float over the landscape and allow native bush and fern regrowth.

[Photography by Mike Rolfe Photography]

Exotic resort-style landscape design in Hillarys

Kim McFayden — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 19:00:03 +0000

The owners of this home in Hillarys, a northern beach suburb of Perth, asked Guy Mouritz of Ritz Exterior Design to redesign their disjointed and poorly planned back yard and pool area. The proximity to the coast presented the designers with very challenging site conditions of salt, wind and sun, that literally stripped paint from the front of the home. “The first step in our design for the new outdoor room was to provide shelter from the morning sun and privacy from elevated neighbours at the rear,” says Guy. “Our response was a large Victorian ash timber structure to balance the bulk of the two storey home. The timber beams join a large parapet wall on the South boundary that shields the area from wind while providing a backdrop for stone tablets that the clients sourced for the project. A louvred roof offered the flexibility to control light entering the main dining area as well as winter sun into the new theatre room. A fully appointed outdoor kitchen made entirely from 316 stainless steel is complimented by a custom designed breakfast bar, travertine paving throughout provides a luxurious base balanced by the soft tones of teak decking.”

Favourite feature:

The stunning Victorian Ash timber, the firebowl feature and the fantastic practicality of having an extra dining, living and bar area outside in the gorgeous Perth climate.

Storm cottage retreat in the NZ wilderness

Kim McFayden — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 23:40:47 +0000

Oh how beautiful this remote cottage is! Located on the east coast of Great Barrier Island in New Zealand is a house designed like “a black rough sawn timber box” facing north to the sea. Created by Fearon Hay Architects, the dark exterior palette is enhanced with a layer of perforated metal screens, allowing the moderation of light and air as well as providing security. Internally walls and floors are clad with oiled oak boards that provide a warm contrast to the robust exterior. A pair of symmetrical bedrooms and ensuites are set around a central living space. Care has been made to limit the scale of the building and maintain a sense of ‘cottage’.

Sustainable features: the home is off the grid and powered by solar panels with independent systems for water collection and treatment.

[Photography by Patrick Reynolds]

An outdoor room for the ultimate in entertaining

Kim McFayden — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 19:00:44 +0000

The brief to Landart Landscapes for this outdoor space overlooking Curl Curl beach was for a design that offered an amazing entertaining space that captured and complimented the view, while making the existing elements more functional. The pool tiles and the shape of the pool steps had a slightly retro feel to them so it felt natural to the designers to draw on some inspiration from Palm Springs. The clients also wanted to be able to use the space at night so lighting was important. In the designers words: “Space was limited so I wanted to maximize the entertaining/ kitchen area without separating or dividing the space. I designed a bench seat that appears as if it is floating. Because of its length it enables a dining table to go at either end, and because you can see under it, it doesn’t feel too enclosed. In fact, it actually feels as if it is part of the garden also. Two huge aloe trees were used to frame the deck and concrete floating pads lead to the pool area, creating an inviting entrance.”

Favourite feature: Offset concrete and deck stairs as well as the two amazing advanced aloe trees. What’s your favourite feature? Please comment below..

[Photography by Jason Busch]

Funky townhouse design with splashes of red

Kim McFayden — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 03:12:20 +0000

Arch11 architecture collaborated with construction firm Boulder and Denver to design and construct this triple townhouse project. Built on a small lot in a funky light industrial area near the centre of Boulder, the architects designed each townhouse to capture views of the surrounding landscape, carefully ensuring equity of views and square footage for each household. The modern design gracefully knits together each client’s desires within a cohesive language of form and materials while the interiors are reflective of the three client’s personalities. In addition to private outdoor space, the three townhomes share outdoor dining space. The entry paths to each are designed to foster casual interaction between the occupants. The townhouses are a great example of the future of sustainable land use, design and living.

Favourite feature: the stairs! What’s your favourite feature? Please comment below..

[Photography by Raul Garcia]