Picket House

Tying together the old and the new, Picket House engages with its streetscape and surrounding heritage character. Subtle and symbolic material transitions between the existing and the new acknowledges its contextual relationship.

The symbolism of the picket fence emphasises the careful consideration of the dwelling’s relationship to its streetscape and heritage through its public facing facades. The western elevation describing a relationship with its boundary threshold whilst the south preserves its past, adding a new layer to the series of gable roofs. Picket House activates a dialogue between the streetscape and its existing heritage context through a response that subtly reflects the conditions of its external boundaries and engages its occupants with the
passer-by.

Sitting in a suburban context, the house’s corner site provokes a dialogue between its occupants and the surrounding community through the archetypal Australian picket fence. Offering opportunities for social engagement between the layering of fence, façade, existing and alteration – the rhythm of the pickets establish moments of exposure and concealment between the street and inner private gardens.

The existing entrance and southern façade are retained and expressed internally through the floor surfaces that are then carried throughout the house. New living spaces are positioned to the north, with picket clad canopies both offering shade in summer and allowing sun to penetrate in the winter months – a daybed beneath offers an opportunity to sit and watch the inner workings of the house. Mirrors to both the kitchen and stairwell playfully mimic the geometric forms of the pickets, reflecting light deep into the floorplate of the house. The addition of two studies to the ground floor enables the occupants to work from home, whilst the first floor offers bedrooms and a space for children. The bathrooms throughout again mimic the angular geometry of the picket fence.

The landscape surrounding the new addition continues the concept of layering, with garden beds embedded between the façade and fence. Roof gardens above extend the landscape vertically, adding insulation to the ground floor, roof and shading to the first floor.

Our architectural addition didn’t want to reshape who our building was or change its identity. We were conscious to allow the house to extend its presence in the streetscape and converse with its neighbouring community.