THE BROKEN WALL HOUSE
CONCEPT & DESIGN
The modern Australian lifestyle today celebrates the reinterpretation and blurring of various boundaries between opposing elements of the residential scene – such as the boundaries between inside vs. outside, private vs. public, residence vs. landscape, immediate comfort vs. environmental sustainability… The versatility and diversity of the Boral product range, as well as the elements of the subject site, provided us with the opportunity to develop a home that highlights the breakdown of such boundaries. The masonry wall is an architectural feature used to create strong barriers between spaces and environments. By penetrating a diagonal break in a straight, solid masonry wall, a spatial paradox is created: on the one hand, spaces which were once separate now blend into each other; on the other, spaces which were once connected are now split. At once, the broken wall becomes not only an architectural motif, but also a sculptural element showcasing the exquisite texture and vivid colours of the Boral Nuvo Fusion ‘Blue Rio’ bricks.
BEDROOMS
LIVING
I’M A WALL
1. WALL
Level 2 Plan STUDY
PATIO
BACKYARD
VERANDAH SPACE
MASTER BEDROOM
COURTYARD
It is this break that allows the external landscape not only to blend together as one, but to also flow through the interior residence as a comfortable inside-outside space. Simultaneously, it begins to break up the functions of the residence, with the more public, entertainment areas encased in the front section of the wall, and the private, living spaces enveloped by the back wall. The central courtyard becomes a crucial link where a hybrid of functions begins to emerge – a kitchen, a courtyard, a veranda, a landscape feature, a circulation junction.
2. BREAK
ATE PRIV
Level 1 plan LOUNGE
KITCHEN
DINING
3. PROGRAM
ELEMENTS AND INTERIORS BORAL CONCRETE LINEA ‘CHARCOAL GREY’ ROOFING Whilst providing strong protection against the harsh external elements, this smart, minimalist concrete tile also completes the thermal envelop of the dwelling, providing a naturally insulated space underneath - keeping in and shielding out extreme heat. The smooth aesthetic and bold ‘charcoal grey’ colour further emphasies the grey overtones of the residence.
BORAL NUVO FUSION ‘BLUE RIO’ BRICKS
ROOF
UPPER LEVEL BEDROOMS
The use of these bricks is central to the development of the sculptural wall, not only for its elegant aesthetic qualities, but also for its sustainable benefits and construction flexibility. Its natural acoustic and thermal insulation creates a solid barrier between separate spaces and environments, whilst its modular quality allows it to work as a screen providing visual connections and natural lighting.
BORAL ASPENSTONE ‘CAPPUCCINO’ MASONRY TILES The warm grey of this tile ties together the aesthetic of the dwelling with the vegetation of the landscape that grows between the tiles. Its arrangement is used to identify spaces and paths within the overall landscape, blending into the vegetation in some areas while creating a solid boundary in others
BORAL HEATH STONE ‘CHARCOAL’ RETAINING WALL BRICK WALL This retaining wall provides a platform for the landscape to be celebrated, allowing the vegetation to be a more effective natural screen to the west harsh sun as it sits on a higher ground.
BORAL HARDWOOD TIMBER FLOORING 19MM LOWER LEVEL LIVING DINING KITCHEN LOUNGE
Combining Boral’s hardwood timber flooring with its hardwood timber decking creates a seamless inside outside space, where at once this space is a circulation junction, as well as an internal veranda
BORAL HARDWOOD TIMBER DECKING
LANDSCAPE COURTYARD GARDEN
The fluid transition of inside to outside space in the courtyard is created by the use of both the Boral’s 19mm Timber Hardwood Flooring adjacent to Boral’s Timber Decking. A sculptural, continuous flow of timber flooring is created that emerges out of the ground on one side, becomes an interior flooring material in the centre, to become a piece of external furniture at the other end.
SUSTAINABILITY AND CONSTRUCTION
THERMAL INSULATION
CROSS VENTILATION
SUNLIGHT
SOLID
Boral’s Nuvo Fusion bricks provides a strong masonry aesthetic with deep dramatic colours and fine intricate texture. With its outstanding inherent thermal insulation qualities, a natrually comfortable enclosure is created without the overuse of active cooling or heating systems. SUNLIGHT
RAINWATER
Moreover, its implicit modular character and structral solidity allows flexibilty in construction systems. By turning the bricks at a slowly increasing angle, a screening effect is created. This allows for the brick’s natural insulation qualities to be embraced where the wall is solid, whilst permitting the low winter sun to penetrate through the wall via the brick screen.
SCREEN
SCREEN
SOLID
COURTYARD AND LANDSCAPE
LANDSCAPE PLAN
The harmony between residence and landscape is created through the use of Boral’s wide range of landscaping products. The seamless fluidity between internal and external spaces is accentuated with the use of multiple Boral timber products, while the dwelling gently submerges into the landscape through the arrangement of the Boral Aspenston tiles.