When it comes For houses, the idea changes that bigger changes better. The attraction of the large, extravagant house does not quite have the same attraction if you take into account the growing inaccessibility of the living space in Australia or the effects on the environment that can have BIG. While the statistics that Australian houses are the largest in the world may not fulfill us with a lot of national pride, projects that apply a “build less” approach than beacons of hope in a society that often glorify excessively.
When architects design their own houses, they often have the unique opportunity to challenge conventional living standards and to demonstrate the value of designing needs and not the wishes. Stuart Telha, director at Tehla Clarke, took this opportunity when he expanded his own family home, an almost centuries -old California bungalow. The project contained the preservation of the original bungalow in its almost committed, an asbestia-loaded rear lean-to-an-to-an-to-I-AP and replaced it with a modest and contemporary pavilion.
The rear expansion is increased, which gives the impression that the volume flows over the garden. If you descend into the garden from the increased interiors, there is a feeling of being created by nature. The decision to increase the addition was driven by the modernist aesthetics and the need for rainwater overlay. This has led to a gradual climb while daring into the house from the front.
The encore respected and builds on the art of craftsmanship of the original band without simply imitating it. Tehla described the intention before this complementary integration as a “gentle connection” between the two volumes. A comparable white tone is carried by the original wooden facade to the new brick that shows a new interpretation of the existing color palette by a new application of materials. A red brick grille area and fireplace reflect the red brick columns at the front entrance.
The project offered the opportunity to revise the layout of the existing house, so that the bungalow reserved the bedrooms and at the same time fold new living space into the expansion. The original bathroom, the kitchen and the bedroom were all converted into bedrooms without changing the footprint of these rooms. The move to separate the sleeping zone from the more active areas of the family has promoted a feeling of privacy. A clear demarcation between these zones is obvious, marked by the shift of the floor coverings and the orientation – from the original east pine, which was laid over the corridor, to the new blackbutt wood, which is arranged along the encore. A concrete step acts as a buffer between old and new sections, while a new central courtyard that opens in the north further emphasizes the contrast.
In the kitchen, a green pantry is immediately made aware. A slim entrance invites you to explore this green area, but only when you are in it does the room develop completely. Originally, a door was planned to hide the pantry as a hidden jewel, but this design was given up as soon as the Tehla family observed the intrigue that was created by the exhibition of the room. At first glance, the color of the pantry with the inconspicuous white and shades of gray of the kitchen seems to be standing side by side. On closer inspection, however, reasons of green appear in the quartzite kitchen banks and visually connect the two rooms.
Senior lights in the ceiling over the living rooms are effectively dealing with the need for natural light, which is limited to the northern aspect and the lack of windows south by deep, exaggerated, exaggerated eaves. A tasted ceiling over these rooms gives the living rooms, which otherwise may have appeared flat and locked up, dimension and depth.
In the living room, a concrete set cuts through the painted white brick on the fireplace and extends across the room. According to Telha, this modest edge has proven to be unexpectedly multifunctional and serves as a seat, as an exhibition area for different objects or a storage space for firewood. This function repeats an in-situ platform that interrupts the external brick fireplace and offers another casual place for sitting.
Tehla, who was founded in a philosophy “less is more”, announced that her ambition for the house should be as sensible as it could be in terms of environmental considerations. This philosophy is reflected in the preservation of the original structure, the compact footprint of the addition and the minimal selection of the materials. In the priority of waste and resource breakdown, you have included recycled bricks in both the expansion and the new exterior and the redesigned courtyard.
In the heart of the Ormond House there is the desire to live a life free of surpluses.