Acute House

To take advantage of the opportunities of such an unusual site, the geometry required an adjustment to the layout and lifestyle expectations of a conventional family house. Multiple levels were required to accommodate the basic space needs of a family home and these were accommodated where site geometry best suited them. These spaces are distributed over split levels with the vertical space of the stairwell providing visual privacy and a sense of definition without wasting precious space on internal walls, corridors or doors. Continuous circulation is provided through each floor with no dead-ends, allowing spaces to be kept lean yet feeling spacious and un clogged – visually or physically.

As a general principle, smaller is better. While there were specific demands on this site, we always endeavour to achieve clear, lean plans that offer multiple overlapping uses of available space.

On a bigger picture, city wide level, the sympathetic densification of our inner urban fabric demands the use of as many of these weird “leftover” sites as possible. While their peculiarities will, of course, present special challenges, they are much more than merely serviceable as they offer unique opportunities for infill housing with enjoyments unachievable on conventional sites.

The comparatively narrow floor plate, arrangement of openings and open stairwell of the house allows natural daylighting throughout the day and evening in all seasons with pleasant sun penetration even in mid-winter. Sliding mesh shading screens and blinds are provided to the north façade openings for the times in the year when this needs to be controlled. Likewise, the narrow floor plate allows natural cross ventilation within each floor. The balcony doors and openable skylights at the top of the roof vent warm air from half basement to top floor via the open stairwell.

While it was not possible to incorporate water tanks or photovoltaic panels due to site and heritage constraints, high efficiency appliances such as a gas boosted evacuated tube solar hot water system and insulated slab hydronic floor heating are used where possible. All walls and roofs are highly insulated and all windows are timber framed double glazed and draft sealed. High water efficiency sanitary and tapware is used throughout.

The internal finishes palette is minimal and modest using commonly available sustainable materials such as plantation grown Australian hardwoods, plywood and recycled timber cladding with minimal painting. External finishes require either minimal maintenance – powdercoated aluminium – or will be left to naturally weather and deteriorate – recycled timber cladding.

The resulting new wedge of house is designed as an unusual but highly responsive approach to the character of the surrounding neighbourhood, and to the challenges and opportunities for responsive architecture presented by the site and its immediate context. It takes on the challenge of preserving an important but almost unsalvageable local landmark by working within the general typology of the surrounding neighbourhood, "rhyming" with its housing stock while remaining resolutely contemporary in its expression and articulation.

Exterior Metal Cladding:

Aluminium Standing Seam, Matt Black

Installer: Advanced Metal Cladding

Cladding Manufacturer: Metal Cladding Systems

Exterior Timber Cladding:

Salvaged cladding from existing house

Paint Finish: Resene exterior low sheen acrylic

Interior Walls + Ceiling Lining:

Birch Plywood

Seal: Mirotone clear satin gloss seal

Polished Concrete Floor:

Concrete Polishing: Lumic

Concrete Mix: Economix "Atlantic Ocean" off-white cement base

Steel Stairs:

Custom steel stair

Redon Forge

Stair Balustrade:

Jacob Webnet Mesh

Installer: Tensile

Carpet:

Tretford Goat Hair Carpet

Glazed Timber Doors + Windows:

Custom Hardwood Double Glazed

Pickering Joinery

Metal Windows:

Sashless Double Hung Double Glazed

Aneeta Windows

Window Reveals:

Custom welded steel plate reveals

Redon Forge, Mitty & Price Builders

Solid Timber doors + Sliders:

Custom

Mitty & Price Builders

Timber Framed Perf Metal Screens:

Custom

Mitty & Price Builders

Custom Joinery:

Birch Ply, Hardwood Formply

TT Cabinets

Stainless Steel Bench + Integral Sink:

Custom

Mitty & Price Builders

Joinery Handles:

Recessed Pulls

Bellevue Architectural

Door Furniture:

Door Levers

Bellevue Architectural

Tiles:

Penny Round Mosaics

Academy Tiles

Lighting:

ISM Objects, Dunlin Lighting, Euroluce, Ambience Lighting, Spicon Lighting, Hotbeam

Ceiling Fans:

Big Ass Fans

Sanitaryware:

Mary Noall, Reece, Hydrotherm

Tapware:

Astra Walker

Appliances:

Electric Oven: Smeg

Cooktop | Gas 5 Burner Glass Top: Smeg

Dishwasher | Integrated: Fisher & Paykel

Rangehood | Ceiling Mounted Tubular: Qasair / Condari

Fridge |Integrated: Fisher & Paykel

Kitchen Tap: Reece

Chilled Water Tap: Zip

Built-in ironing board: Robinhood

Wood Burning Fireplace: Morso

While site area limitations and geometry allowed the council to permit building over 100% of the site this advantage came with the counterbalancing disadvantage of 0% outdoor space. As a result, the house interiors had to accommodate the needs of a family as well as providing them with the enjoyments of the great outdoors. This total lack of garden is offset by the artificial internal landscape of the stairwell with lawn green carpets, hanging plants, a central aquarium of aquatic plants and fish and a sunny outlook to every room. Full height sliding doors and screens open up the main living level as a virtual verandah and the pointy, but surprisingly generous, balcony provides the ambience of a yacht in the street.

Architect:
Fooi-Ling Khoo

Planning + Heritage:
David Brand

Interior Design:
OOF in collaboration with JPILD

Engineer:
Mark Hodkinson Consulting Structural Engineers

Building Surveyor:
Anthony Middling & Associates

Builder:
Mitty & Price | Michael Briese (Builder/Director) Christian Klueter (Foreman)

External Cladding:
Advanced Metal Cladding

Windows and Doors:
Pickering Joinery

Joiner:
TT Cabinets + Design

Steelwork:
Redon Forge

Plumber:
Innerline Plumbing

Electrician: Warner Electrical

Heating + AC:
Marshall's Heating & Air conditioning Pty Ltd

Concrete Polishing:

Lumic