Kensington Lighthouse

The Kensington Lighthouse is situation of a 160m2 strip of land between a former factory and its kitchen, in a densely urbanised, mixed use inner city context.
On the north, the neighbouring house presents a 4m high wall overshadowing the site.  North facing sun shells were created to capture and reflect sunlight. They are articulated by exposed timber portal frames lined with timber panels and clad in a lightweight skin of dark grey and deep blue corrugated metal.  These sun shells form the roof and southern façade. 
Timber framed glass and translucent polycarbonate were used to frame
views and admit light while preserving privacy on the west, north and eastern
walls.
The house is made from two sun shells forms, connected around a courtyard by the link – a rectilinear volume running the length of the northern boundary.  The west sun shell contains entry, lounge, kitchen double height dining on the lower level; and study, guest bed and bathroom on the mezzanine.  The east sun
shell at the rear of the site, across the courtyard and on a mid-level, houses
the master bedroom and ensuite, below is a double carport accessed from the
rear laneway.

PROJECT STATEMENT
The overwhelming
condition of this project’s dense, mixed use urban site was its severely
limited access to sunlight.  The northern
neighbour’s 4 meter high cliff-like wall runs along the boundary while the
southern neighbour’s existing north facing windows required access to light.  As a consequence passive solar and thermal
design principles inform the building’s spatial and formal resolution.
The link – a linear
element matching the neighbouring wall and containing circulation and services –
was created on the northern boundary, exaggerating the cliff-like quality of
the northern edge.  Platforms were established;
some anchored on the ground, others floating up against the link.  Finally, two sun shells were introduced, enclosing
the platforms.  Peeping over the link,
the sun shells capture sunlight, reflecting it inside -and establishing the necessary
temperature differential for cross ventilation.
The west sun shell –
closest to the street – defines a two storey volume and contains living,
kitchen, dining, study, bathroom and guest bedroom.  The eastern sun shell -located across the
courtyard, adjacent a laneway and above the carport – houses master bedroom and
ensuite.
The sun shells form the
roof and south façade.  The north, east and
west walls are clad in timber framed glass and translucent polycarbonate,
framing views and admitting light while preserving privacy.  The translucent skin captures shadows of
neighbouring trees, passing clouds and filtering light to the interior. 
Interior space and
architectural expression are completely interdependent, maximising the volume of
the house yet articulating separate zones through spatial variety.  Low, intimate spaces are created for the
lounge and kitchen while a contrasting soaring space is created above the
dining table, encapsulating the study and leading to the courtyard.
Outside spaces are
drawn into the interior through extensive use of large openings – the courtyard
doubles as an al fresco dining space, the street side garden can be opened to
the lounge, doors from master bedroom overlooking the courtyard create a
Juliette balcony and the windows in the southern façade draw in the fence side
garden lane.
The width of a roof
sheet acts as an overarching module for the sun shell design.  The spacing of timber portal frames, window
widths and interior timber panels all follow this module, creating regular sizes
for many components.  Decorative
possibilities were identified and exploited within the underlying rationale –
therefore the heights of windows, lengths of veneered panel and the colours of
the roof sheet varied – breaking the unity of larger surfaces.  In this framework the decorative impulse of
the fretwork of surrounding workers’ cottages was reinterpreted – continuing
the theme of contextual specificity underpinning this house.
The material and
detailing reflects the project’s pragmatic approach to construction.  The primary timber portal frame and its
expressed steelwork correspond to manhandled-able elements – eliminating a
crane – and bolted into position through t-joints, v-joints and curved
brackets.    Natural materials, chosen for their texture
and propensity to age gracefully, articulate major elements creating a palette
of hardwood timber frames, timber panelling, honed concrete, timber framed
glazing and translucent polycarbonate.