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Australian Residential Architecture and Design

2021 HOUSES AWAR D S

Celebrating Australia’s best houses, gardens and apartments

ISSUE 141 $12.95

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At a Glance

From the Editor Musings

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Contributors

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Cultivated 130 Postscript A new sustainability program extends the life of authentic furniture and lighting design.

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22 Mt Eliza House

by MRTN Architects Mid-century modernism and Scandinavian design influences coalesce in an understated home in bayside Melbourne.

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Houses Awards 2021

Cascade House

by Core Collective Architects

Celebrating the winning, commended and shortlisted projects in this year’s Houses Awards, honouring Australia’s most outstanding residential architecture and design.

A new family home on an unusual site in Hobart is an ode to the craft of building.

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30 Carpenter’s Square House

by Architects EAT A richly detailed addition to an Edwardian house in Melbourne is perfectly tailored to its owners.

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In Profile Officer Woods

Revisited Cavill House by Hayes & Scott

Robust, versatile and unswayed by fashion, the houses of this Fremantle studio are designed for everyday occupation.

Built in 1978, this Gold Coast house reveals how Hayes and Scott adapted modernist ideas for the sub-tropical climate.

AT A GLANCE

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Musings

The announcement of the annual Houses Awards is a celebration of Australia’s remarkable residential architecture and design. The shortlisted, commended and winning homes in this year’s awards demonstrate experimentation and ingenuity in design, and yet each one also remains responsive and sympathetic to the everyday patterns of domestic life.

On the cover of this issue is the Australian House of the Year, Three House by John Ellway. This resourceful home in Brisbane consists of three living pavilions that can be adapted in future into three compact residences. The house is informal but also elegant, rambling but also contained; an understated and inventive suburban house.

Congratulations to all of the architecture and design practices recognized in this year’s awards program, and thank you to our generous Houses Awards supporters: Cult, Artedomus, the Australian Institute of Horticulture, Blum, Bosch, Brickworks, the Heritage Council of Victoria, Sussex, Taubmans and Latitude.

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02 How can art and design influence change and contribute to a positive future? This question is explored in We Change the World at the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia. More than 60 works of Australian and international contemporary art are organized by theme – activism, the environment, the everyday and the future – to encourage critical thinking and personal reflection.

Until 19 September.

Artwork: Puli murpu – Mountain range 2010 by Ruby Tjangawa Williamson and Nita Williamson. ngv.vic.gov.au

01 A demolished early house designed by celebrated Perth architect Iwan Iwanoff is the subject of a new film, produced as part of a series re-creating forgotten parts of Western Australia’s history. Plans and drawings of the lost Harrison House (1953), kept in the Iwanoff archive at the State Library of Western Australia, have been brought to life through virtual reality. Produced by Frame Labs and Stuart Harrison, Reflections of Iwanoff will be screened at The Playhouse Theatre in Perth on 9 September.

Image: Harrison House visualization courtesy of Frame Labs and the State Library of Western Australia. slwa.wa.gov.au

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Alexa Kempton, editor

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Write to us at houses@archmedia.com.au Subscribe at architecturemedia.com Find us @housesmagazine

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MUSINGS

03 This year’s Sydney Design Week delves into the ties that bind us, from the Internet of Things to fundamental ideas that define communities. The program includes Graphic Identities at the Powerhouse Museum, exploring how visual communication has shaped contemporary Australian culture. Sydney Design Week is curated by creative director Stephen Todd and runs from 14 to 20 September; Graphic Identities runs until 27 February 2022.

Artwork: Currency magazine covers, Reserve Bank of Australia, designed by Alistair Morrison, 1960–66, Powerhouse Collection. maas.museum

Contributors Editor Alexa Kempton Editorial enquiries Alexa Kempton T: +61 3 8699 1000 houses@archmedia.com.au

Matthew Eagle Writer

Judith Abell Writer

Matthew is a teacher, architect and founder of Burleigh Heads-based practice ME. ME was the recipient of the Emerging Architecture Practice award at the 2017 Houses Awards, and the practice’s Cantala Avenue House was named Australian House of the Year at the 2020 Houses Awards.

Judith Abell is a writer, designer and artist, consistently working at the junctions between these disciplines. Judith currently works for the City of Hobart as a public art coordinator, while maintaining her sculptural art practice and her freelance writing work.

She is also the art features editor for Island magazine.

Editorial director Katelin Butler Editorial team Georgia Birks Nicci Dodanwela Jude Ellison Cassie Hansen Josh Harris Production Goran Rupena Simone Wall Design Metrik studiometrik.com General manager sales Michael Pollard Account manager Ranjit Dias Tash Fisher Advertising enquiries All states advertising@ archmedia.com.au +61 3 8699 1000 WA only OKeeffe Media WA Licia Salomone +61 412 080 600

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Simon Pendal Writer

Derek Swalwell Photographer

Simon Pendal established Fremantle-based Simon Pendal Architect in 2005.

This small, research-based practice primarily works on residential commissions that are small, intimate and finely wrought. Simon obtained his practice-based PhD from RMIT in 2016 and is a founding staff member of the School of Architecture at the University of Notre Dame Australia.

Derek Swalwell has been documenting the architectural landscape for more than 20 years and his photographs have graced the covers and pages of design publications in Australia and internationally.

Derek’s diverse body of work reveals a passionate and profound understanding of the technical and sensorial facets of the photographic profession.

CONTRIBUTORS

Print management DAI Print Distribution Australia: Ovato Australia (newsagents) and International: Eight Point Distribution

Cover: Three House

by John Ellway.

Photograph: Toby Scott.

CEO/Publisher Jacinta Reedy Company secretary Ian Close General manager operations Jane Wheeler

Published by Architecture Media Pty Ltd ACN 008 626 686 Level 6, 163 Eastern Road South Melbourne Vic 3205 Australia T: +61 3 8699 1000 F: +61 3 9696 2617 publisher@archmedia.com.au architecturemedia.com Endorsed by The Australian Institute of Architects and the Design Institute of Australia.

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Subscriptions architecturemedia.com/store subscribe@archmedia.com.au or contact the publisher above ISSN 1440-3382

Copyright: HOUSES® is a registered trademark of Architecture Media Pty Ltd. All designs and plans in this publication are copyright and are the property of the architects and designers concerned.

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CASCADE HOUSE

BY C OR E C O LL ECT I V E ARC H I T E CTS

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CASCADE HOUSE

On an internal block in suburban Hobart, an architect’s own family home is at once solid and subtle, cosy and robust, revealing the owner’s love for the making process.

Words by Judith Abell Photography by Adam Gibson

While most architects love the “paper”-based design process of making buildings, they often say that the real excitement lies on site. Their enjoyment is not just in the concrete realization of that drawing, but also in the creative problem-solving and craft required to adapt the drawing to the realities of a place. Ryan Strating, director of Core Collective, loves to be on site and has taken the opportunity with his own house in Hobart to be there throughout the build.

South Hobart is one of the area’s popular river valleys, offering a quick run into the city for work, school or play. Housing coats the steep hillsides, and very long, back-to-back titles are common between roads. Ryan’s site is a separate title that was divided off decades ago, remaining undeveloped, and it was previously part of a package of a house on two titles until Ryan and his wife negotiated to buy the rear title separately. The site offers a unique suburban condition, as it occupies the centre of the block, thereby borrowing the backyard landscapes of all of the neighbours as a foreground to a view to kunanyi/Mount Wellington.

With six neighbours surrounding the site and general residential zoning, Ryan developed a solution compliant with all planning scheme parameters to

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gain exemption from the requirement for a permit.

While this restricted the siting and shape of the build, it offered a way to avoid an often lengthy step in the design-and-build process.

These parameters provided the raw outlines for a simple, rectangular, two-storey dwelling running south to north on the site. The plan of the building allows for change in the home’s composition over time.

At this stage, there are two older children living in the downstairs space, which has its own bathroom and lounge area, while the main bedroom, ensuite, living space, kitchen and dining room are upstairs. With a few changes, the home can be split into two dwellings if required.

A major move for the whole building is the addition of a green roof across the entire floor plan.

This solution offers considerable environmental and energy-saving benefits for the home and puts the “backyard” back in place for surrounding neighbours.

It will eventually be a mass of water-wise native plants.

Throughout the home, windows have been placed to provide privacy and to either frame views to nearby bushy ridgelines or embrace the outlook to kunanyi/ Mount Wellington.

NEW HOUSE

01 The house balances openness and enclosure, framing views of ridgelines and kunanyi/Mount Wellington.

02 Rough sandstone columns define the entry, which is carved out of the lower level.

03 Solid Tasmanian oak joinery and a basalt benchtop create a warm and tactile kitchen.

04 Windows are carefully placed to manage privacy and views on a suburban site surrounded by six neighbours.

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Cascade House is built on the land of the Muwinina people.

4 Hobart, Tas

New house

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Site 693 m² Floor 180 m²

The materiality and craft of this home reveal Ryan’s love of the making process. In our discussion about the design, he notes that he grew up loving the modest, well-built modernist libraries, theatres and council buildings of his home state, Victoria. These buildings, he says, were built to last many decades, with finishes that allowed materials to “be what they are.”

Ryan worked with his father, father-in-law and son to build this house, managing the subcontractors himself. He was involved in all parts of the build and searched for tradespeople who were happy to work with him on site. He describes how enjoyable it was to be able to quickly make decisions and take up opportunities, without the usual wait for client approval.

The house is made from lightweight, expanded clay and cement blocks with integral insulation. Textured coatings have been trowelled on to the block outside and in, and either left as is or burnished to offer soft finishes that have a hint of adobe about them. Floors are burnished concrete, timber or Victorian basalt tile. Eaves and ceilings are timber-lined and, where possible, finished with a clear, non-toxic oil. All joinery is solid, oiled timber and benchtops are of the same basalt, with black resin infill to allow for enjoyment of the natural pockmarks.

Not a lover of bright lighting or reverberant spaces, Ryan has designed most of the lighting to be concealed, and dark grey acoustic panelling has been used throughout the upper floor to reduce sound bounce. The resulting quietness of the spaces is noticeable and likely enhanced by the heavy green roof above. Ryan and his wife both note that their family members have been able to entertain several groups of people in the house at once without noise overwhelm.

Cascade House is a home that feels good to be in because of the careful selection and crafting of materials. Each is chosen for its texture, weight and longevity. This approach begins at the entry, where a cladding of rough-hewn sandstone columns turns a shaped undercroft – designed this way to meet the parking code – into a textural entryway. Custom elements appear throughout: a stunning blackened steel rail and balustrade, made in one piece; a narrow brass trim over end grain; a precisely stacked freestone fireplace, made of convict-hewn stone found on site; a solid timber pivot door that “disappears” into its wall. Given the nature of the materials, the building will age well in place – as the stone darkens, the timber greys a little and the planting on the roof creates a soft upper edge to the structure – harking back to those buildings Ryan loved as a kid.

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Products Roofing: CSR Constructafloor with trafficable membrane; Clinka growing media External walls: Isoblok in Rockcote render Internal walls: Clinka Clinkablok in Dulux and Unitex renders; Autex Cube acoustic panel ceiling in ‘Empire’ Windows: Outline triple-glazed timber and aluminium windows; Viridian double-glazed windows Doors: Outline triple-glazed external doors; custom timber internal doors with Häfele pivot mechanism Flooring: Britton Timbers rough-sawn timber in Whittle Waxes oil; burnished concrete in Tech-Dry Protectaseal-S; Bamstone basalt tiles Lighting: Unios Codex wall light from Casa Mondé; LED strip lights from Casa Mondé and Rexel; restored pendant from Angelucci Kitchen: Bamstone benchtop; Brittons Tasmanian oak joinery

by Phil Vanier; Faucet Strommen Pegasi mixer in raw brushed brass; Fisher and Paykel integrated refrigerator and dishwasher, black cooktop and oven; Falmec rangehood in stainless steel; Oliveri sink in stainless steel Bathroom: Faucet Strommen white towel rail and Pegasi mixer and shower in raw brushed brass; Caroma Cube 500 basin; Unitex Tanami walls in custom colour; Air Con Industries custom brass shower frame; American Standard Cygnet toilet Heating and cooling: Fujitsu ducted airconditioning External elements: Bamstone diamond-sawn paving; Castle Stone stone cladding; salvaged convict-picked stone Other: Second-hand Coogans hardwood kitchen table and Thonet Melnikov chairs; custom couch by Nicholls Design

CASCADE HOUSE

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05 Textured surfaces, acoustic panelling and concealed lighting ensure a tranquil interior.

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NEW HOUSE

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06 Materials have been chosen for their texture and longevity, and are evidence of the owner’s love for the making process.

07 Convict-picked stone found on site has been hand-assembled into a freestanding fireplace.

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Architect Core Collective Architects +61 3 6234 9347 info@corecollective.com.au corecollective.com.au

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Project team Ryan Strating, Emily Ouston, Erica Proud, Kathrine Vand Builder Childs Hodson Engineer Gandy and Roberts Lighting Core Collective Architects with Casa Mondé Lighting Specialists and Laser Electrical Sandy Bay Stonemason Mortimer Stonemasonry Services Sackett Services

CASCADE HOUSE

MT ELIZA HOUSE

BY MRTN ARCHITECTS

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MT ELIZA HOUSE

In this residence on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, the dual influences of one client’s Scandinavian heritage and the suburb’s legacy of mid-century design coalesce in an understated house that revels in the beauty of simplicity.

Words by Tobias Horrocks Photography by Derek Swalwell

There can be no doubt that architect Antony Martin has an affinity for mid-century modern architecture.

His practice, MRTN Architects, won the John and Phyllis Murphy Award for residential alterations and additions at the Victorian Architecture Awards in 2020 for Frankston Mid Century Modern, a sympathetic renovation to a 1960s home in Melbourne’s bayside region. Antony doesn’t claim to be a scholar of history, however; as he puts it, he simply has “a good memory for images.” It so happens that his astute eye has memorized many modernist precedents that he draws on when “building a brief” with clients, the first step in any new project for MRTN Architects. The clients of this new house in Mount Eliza – the neighbouring suburb to Frankston – were keen to acknowledge the bayside area’s rich history of mid-century design. But they also had a particular attachment to Scandinavian design (one of the couple has Scandinavian heritage) and they wanted to see how this element could be brought to bear on their house. “We looked at work

by Utzon and Aalto, of course, but I also showed them McGlashan and Everist’s Fern Tree House near Hobart [see Houses 92], and Harry Seidler’s Gissing House [see Houses 91] in Sydney,” says Antony. These Australian examples have Scandinavian sensibilities, but they also negotiate sloping sites by employing the tactic of a single overarching skillion roof, an element that would become a key feature of Mt Eliza House.

Along with modernist architectural principles, the 1950s and 60s period was characterized by postwar material shortages and budget constraints, which limited

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both the scale of spaces and level of finishes. These aspects are mirrored in this economical four-bedroom family home, but here the level of design modesty wasn’t due only to cost control. Antony and his clients made a conscious effort to intervene sensitively in what was then a greenfield site in a recent subdivision of an old estate. This decision was supported by the local council development guidelines, which encouraged single-storey developments with low-reflective external materials that blended with the coastal landscape. As a result, MRTN’s design didn’t require a planning permit, unlike its bulky neighbours.

As with the best mid-century work, there is no contortion of form for form’s sake here. The chamfered geometry is derived logically – the walls follow three axes, one aligned with the eastern site boundary and the other two orienting internal spaces toward views and light. The crystalline polygonal roof plan is simply the result of joining the dots between the ends of the protruding blade walls, with the extent of the overhangs carefully calculated for passive solar shading or to provide rain cover to terraces. Above the entry at the southern edge of the house, the overhanging roof subtly integrates the function of a carport. The crisp triangular eaves line, in section, is a bespoke detail made cost-effective by its repetition across the whole of the roof edge – the builder could even afford to test a full-scale prototype.

The entry to the house leads directly from the carport. “It’s never ideal to be faced with a corridor when you open the front door,” admits Antony. But in

NEW HOUSE

01 The overhangs of the polygonal roof have been carefully calculated for passive solar shading.

02 Honed concrete steps and timberlined walls make for a materially and spatially rich entry sequence. Artworks: Timothy Hillier.

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Mt Eliza House is built on the land of the Boon Wurrung people of the South-Eastern Kulin nation.

5 Mount Eliza, Vic

New house

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this case, MRTN has made the spatial arrangement a highlight of the house. Pairs of honed concrete steps lead you down past a series of timber-lined entry vestibules, creating a rhythmic play of light and shadow, the recesses hiding what would otherwise be a row of doors to kids’ bedrooms and utility spaces. “One of the key issues in the planning was how to transition from the entry at one end of the site to the views at the other end,” says Antony. This is where the blinker-like blade walls of concrete block come in, deflecting sightlines and delaying the big reveal. As the continuous roof plane sails overhead, the staggered floor levels create different degrees of cosiness with changes in ceiling height and ensure variations in outlook to the garden and the bay.

The basic construction is quite rational. A single five-degree pitched roof that approximates the natural slope of the ground is simply “draped across the blade walls, with a single gutter at the back,” Antony explains.

Even moments of apparent design whimsy turn out to have emerged for pragmatic reasons. Take, for example, the asymmetric shape of the kitchen island bench: its form negotiates the intersection of the plan’s three axes, with MRTN working closely with the cabinetmaker and builder to ensure an elegant resolution to the geometrical conundrum, including artfully arranging the joint lines between the stone slabs.

A limited palette of prosaic, inexpensive materials is elevated in aesthetic effect by being allowed full expression – expansive planes of material are left uninterrupted by light fittings or fixtures of any kind.

Even the painted plasterboard ceiling is treated like a precious material: rather than having downlights puncture the ceiling, MRTN has opted for pendants that cast light upward, offering a diffuse, reflected glow.

Simple functional moves are given power through purity in another echo of mid-century modernism.

“Zeitgeist” was a popular term among modernists, who claimed to be doing what the “spirit of the age” demanded. Antony doesn’t talk that way about his work. It’s as if the present moment simply demands an economy of means, and a quiet, zen-like appreciation of material textures and natural colours. There is beauty in MRTN’s construction details, but no overt expressiveness. The message seems to be “do less and do it beautifully.” Antony himself is a humble and understated character, but the work of his practice demonstrates bold confidence in the (modern) power of simplicity.

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Products Roofing: Stramit Speed Deck Ultra in Colorbond ‘Monument’ External walls: Austral Masonry GB Smooth concrete block in ‘Nickel’; vertical shiplap cladding in ‘Silvertop Ash’ from Bowens Internal walls: Austral Masonry GB honed concrete block in ‘Porcelain’; vertical linear cladding in ‘Silvertop Ash’ from Bowens; plasterboard in Dulux ‘Antique White U.S.A.’ Windows and doors: Miglas AliClad windows and doors F ooring: Burnished conrete Flooring: flooring; Tretford carpet; American Oak flooring Lighting: Concerto pendant from Ambience Lighting; Hermera desk lamp from Ross Gardam Kitchen: Fisher and Paykel integrated refrigerator and freezer, ovens, dishwasher and induction cooktop; Vola tapware Bathroom: Concrete Nation Como Basin in ‘Dusty Pink’; Sussex tapware Heating and cooling: Ekco heat pump and boiler; Comfort Heating and Cooling in-slab hydronic heating External elements: Eco Outdoor Porphyry crazy paving

03 The asymmetricshaped kitchen bench negotiates the intersection of the plan’s three axes.

04 Angled concreteblock walls direct sightlines out to Port Phillip Bay. Artworks: Timothy Hillier.

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Architect MRTN Architects +61 3 8548 4638 office@MRTN.com.au www.mrtn.com.au

NEW HOUSE

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Project team Antony Martin, Cameron Suisted Builder Saltwater Builders Engineer Deery Consulting Pool consultant Laurie Jacobson Pools

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C A R P E N T E R’S SQUARE HOUSE BY ARCHITECTS E AT

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In this addition to an Edwardian home in south-east Melbourne, clever planning and a judicious approach to challenging the brief have resulted in a finely crafted, materially rich family home.

Words by Brett Seakins Photography by Derek Swalwell

For director Albert Mo and the team at Architects EAT, Carpenter’s Square House marks the third time the architecture practice has designed a house for this client. One might wonder what was wrong with the first two; is this a case of “third-time lucky”? The truth is that the owners of this understated gem in Melbourne’s suburb of Caulfield are, in Albert’s words, “addicted to the process.”

Though the familiarity between architect and client might have streamlined some aspects of the design process – as Albert puts it, “everything is easier once the client takes that initial leap of faith” – there were still plenty of challenges. This is perhaps best evidenced by Architects EAT’s response to the brief. Having initially requested a two-storey addition and a large, lockup garage, the owners were instead presented with a scheme for a singlestorey extension that had an open carport. Many clients would have politely shown the architect to the door at this point, had they not already taken that metaphoric leap.

The results of these challenges to the brief are stunning – not because of an ostentatious splash of creative spirit across the house nor an envelopepushing feat of engineering, but rather because the team has managed to fashion an addition that responds so fittingly to the existing house, to the irregular shape of the block and to the less-than-forgiving context of the site.

The triangular site is located immediately adjacent to the joining of two of Melbourne’s busiest railway corridors, giving Albert his first justification for not designing a second storey: the upper floor would have either

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CARPENTER’S SQUARE HOUSE

01 A warm and generously detailed interior features vaulted, timber-lined ceilings and textured brickwork. Artwork: Craig Handley.

Carpenter’s Square House is built on the land of the Boon Wurrung people of the Kulin nation.

4 Melbourne, Vic

Alteration + addition

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3 + 1 powder room

overlooked the neighbours or had uninspiring views of the railway lines to the north and east. Instead, the practice has nestled the addition snugly into the existing building and pushed it as far away from the trains as possible, using the pool and gardens as a buffer for the house. Also, by sinking the new building into the site a little, Albert and his team have delivered an additional sense of privacy and protection from the street, and a heightened sense of calm. The arrangement of the addition gave the house its curious moniker: its distinctive “L” shape was inspired by a prized carpenter’s square from Albert’s collection of vintage tools. The beauty and simplicity of this tool have evoked a linearity and honesty in the detailing of the addition.

The second deviation from the brief was the creation of a carport in place of a garage. Albert notes wryly that for each of the three houses designed for this client, the deadline for completion has been the AFL grand final.

This is a client who loves to entertain and each house needed a big space for this purpose. With this and the constrained site in mind, Architects EAT has cleverly created a large undercover entertaining zone – complete with a barbecue and access to the pool – that is also known to shelter a car or two.

Challenging the brief to create this double use speaks to the intimate understanding that an architect can develop with their client. Equally, it demonstrates how architects are equipped to create opportunities such as this one, which allows the landscape to flow across the site where a big, closed box of a garage might otherwise have been.

In the architectural approach to the facades, there is a deliberate contrast between the reductive external aesthetic and the richly detailed interiors. Albert likens this to the work of modernist architect Adolf Loos, whose early-twentieth-century designs stripped away all external ornament in favour of warm and generously detailed interiors. The same approach works in Carpenter’s Square House on multiple levels. First, the house is devised as a neutral backdrop for both the gardens and the existing house.

Second, due to the severity of the context, the fences are higher than normal and divorce the house from any engagement with the street, rendering any external architectural expression an indulgence. The third consideration is more pragmatic, with budget savings made in the external cladding able to be spent on the materials and finishes inside the house.

Programmatically, the addition has created a reconfigured main bedroom and added to it a generous new bathroom. An internal courtyard brings natural light and opportunities for cross-ventilation into this space and the new living room, kitchen and powder room. The design of these spaces has taken many cues from the elegantly refurbished Edwardian house: the white fascia extends the white rendered elements of the gable, and the implied arc found in the balcony details inspired the vaulted, timber-lined ceilings. The decision to lower the new spaces from the original house has allowed Albert and his team to use the brick coursing of the existing house to establish an organizing datum that records the change in levels and is used as a landing to the stairs, a window seat to view the pool and a plinth for the joinery.

With three houses completed, it appears that this story is not yet over.

Albert reveals that the client has recently been in touch with the practice again as they contemplate another property, perhaps cementing a patronage to make the Medicis proud.

HOUSES 141

ALTERATION + ADDITION

Site 820 m² Floor 340 m²

Design 1 y Build 1 y

Products Roofing: Lysaght Klip-lok 700 roof decking in Colorbond ‘Woodland Grey’ External walls: Austral Bowral Bricks in ‘Murray Grey’; render in Dulux ‘Stowe White’ Internal walls: Austral Bowral Bricks in ‘Murray Grey’; timber veneer from George Fethers in ‘Oak Rift White Wash’; paint in Dulux ‘Lexicon Quarter’ Ceiling: Woodform Concept Click batten in white oak Windows: Double-glazed, doublehung windows from Aneeta; louvre windows from Breezway; Velux skylight; powdercoated framing in Dulux ‘White Satin’ Doors: Hardware from Designer Doorware in ‘Satin Chrome’ Flooring: Austral Bowral brick pavers in Ash clear sealant; Oakford Square Federation carpet from Prestige Carpets; tiles from Artedomus in ‘Urban White’ Lighting: Down, linear and track lighting from Brightgreen; Jieldé wall lights from Euroluce; Foscarini Chouchin Reverse suspension light from Space; Anchor Ceramics Potter pendant from Cafe Culture Insitu Kitchen: 2-pac joinery in Dulux ‘Supernatural’; timber veneer from George Fethers in ‘Oak Rift – White Wash’; YDL Stone benchtop in ‘Calacatta Classico’; handmade glazed navy tiles; Astra Walker Icon tapware in ‘Matte White’; Made Measure joinery handles in‘Midnight – Black Edge’; Asko integrated refrigerator and freezer, dishwasher, ovens, wine fridge and cooktop Bathroom: Timber veneer joinery from George Fethers in ‘Oak Rift – White Wash’; YDL Stone benchtop in ‘Bianco Gental’; Faucet Strommen tapware and basin; Nood Co. concrete mirrors Heating and cooling: Jetmaster fireplace External elements: Spotted gum timber decking; honed bluestone paving from Eco Outdoor

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02 A brick plinth extends the floor level of the existing house into the addition. Artwork: Miles Hall.

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05 The carport also serves as a shaded outdoor entertaining area that is connected to the house, pool and garden.

06 Externally, the addition is stripped of ornament, in deliberate contrast to the richly detailed interior.

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Architect Architects EAT +61 3 8592 1999 office@eatas.com.au eatas.com.au

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Project team Albert Mo, Sarah Magennis, Alice Nadja Sehovic, Rachel Lowen-Strauss, Hui Chuen Chuang, Tom Davies Builder McKerlie Builders Engineer R. Bliem and Associates Landscaping MUD Office Styling Swee Design

DULUX SHOWCASE

Beauty attracts the eye, but personality captures the heart

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01 Marmorino Fine offers a natural mineral look with a glossy finish, yielding a multi-coloured marble effect.

HOUSES 141

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DULUX SHOWCASE

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Three House by John Ellway. Photography: Toby Scott

2021

Announcing the winning, commended and shortlisted projects in the 2021 Houses Awards, and celebrating the meaningful contribution Australia’s architects and designers make to enriching the way we live.

SUPPORTERS

HOUSES 141

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AUSTRALIAN HOUSE OF THE YEAR

42

NEW HOUSE OVER 200 M² – JOINT WINNER

48

NEW HOUSE OVER 200 M² – JOINT WINNER

52

NEW HOUSE UNDER 200 M²

56

H O U S E A LT E R AT I O N AND ADDITION OVER 200 M²

60

H O U S E A LT E R AT I O N AND ADDITION UNDER 200 M²

64

A PA R T M E N T O R U N I T

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GARDEN OR LANDSCAPE

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40

HOUSES AWARDS

2021 WINNERS

H O U S E I N A H E R I TA G E CONTEXT – JOINT WINNER

76

H O U S E I N A H E R I TA G E CONTEXT – JOINT WINNER

80

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

C O M M E N D AT I O N S SHORTLIST

EMERGING ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE – JOINT WINNER

88

EMERGING ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE – JOINT WINNER

84

96 102

92

HOUSES AWA R D S 2021 JURY

WILL FUNG, C O -A P

PHIL HARRIS, TROPPO

A N I TA PA N O V, PA N O V S C O T T ARCHITECTS

L O U I S E W R I G H T, BARACCO AND WRIGHT ARCHITECTS

K AT E L I N B U T L E R , ARCHITECTURE MEDIA

S E E M O R E AT H O U S E S A W A R D S.C O M. A U / G A L L E R Y

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

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THREE HOUSE

WINNER 2021 AUSTRALIAN HOUSE OF THE YEAR

THREE HOUSE

BY J O H N E L LW AY

Award for Australian House of the Year is supported by

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

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Covered outdoor area Entry Patio Fire pit Undercroft Parking Store Bedroom Lounge Dining Kitchen Laundry Verandah Studio Kitchenette

Three House by John Ellway is a deceptively simple new house, the genius of which lies in the rigour of the planning decisions and in the detail resolutions.

Set on a flood-prone gully in Brisbane’s Paddington, the house is broken into three elevated sleeping platforms connected by a series of verandah-like living zones. This efficiently planned house belies the bounds of its physical dimensions by borrowing light and space, and by firmly connecting its internal spaces to the surrounding neighbourhood context.

Living spaces have been raised above street level in response to the site conditions and to maintain privacy.

The three pavilions are shaded by pyramid roofs with deep overhangs, a requirement of strict character guidelines. Although this classic roof form is contextual to suburban Brisbane, it also demonstrates the influence of Japanese design on Ellway’s practice. The elegantly proportioned square modules are punctuated by landscaped courtyards, and this connection is enhanced by doors and windows that slide away, vertically and horizontally, to embrace the outdoor spaces and the street beyond.

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

In the bedrooms, a series of deftly detailed sliding panels can be moved up and down to control the level of privacy required at any given time.

One pavilion – a self-contained granny flat – is detached from the other two, a move that adds flexibility to the configuration and use of the home, now and into the future. Three House could feasibly be adapted into three houses. This consideration for adaptability is not only commendable, but also imperative to long-term sustainability.

This resourceful home reminds us that you don’t need an excessive amount of money nor a large footprint to live well; nothing here is superfluous and every detail is carefully considered. Immense joy is found in small architectural moments, such as a tree shadow cast across a wall, and daily rituals, such as the retreat into a calm sleeping zone after a long day. Quiet and understated, this house demonstrates ingenuity in making design look at once effortless and refined.

From the Houses Awards jury.

For further coverage see Houses 139.

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Three House is built on the land of the Turrbal and Yuggera people.

Location Brisbane, Qld

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Architect John Ellway Architect +61 408 070 417 mail@jellway.com jellway.com

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Project team John Ellway Builder PJL Projects Engineer Westera Partners Landscape design Studio Terrain Planning consultant Bartley Burns Energy consultant Esco Energy Solutions

THREE HOUSE

Photographer Toby Scott

JOINT WINNER 2021 NEW HOUSE OVER 200 M²

8 YA R D HOUSE

BY ST U D I O BRIGHT

Award for New House over 200 m2 is supported by

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8 YARD HOUSE

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

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Studio Bright’s 8 Yard House builds on centuries-old traditions of spaces for living outside. The courtyard is reinterpreted as eight outdoor rooms, which punctuate a dense house across a double-fronted lot in an innerurban area of Melbourne. This outside space – sometimes yard, sometimes courtyard – is brought right to the facade, creating a deep and generous threshold to the house and offering transparency to the street through hit-and-miss brickwork.

Carefully detailed brickwork and relationships between the house and its courtyards, which are distributed along the length of the site, bring a looseness to the otherwise solid brick enclosure and restrained material palette. An unusual spatial richness is achieved through subtle variation in the stepped section, shifting room orientation and allowing adjacent rooms to borrow light and aspect from one another.

The outdoor spaces are rooms of equal value to their interior counterparts. Their interconnectedness layers a diversity of activity and inhabitation throughout the site. Crafted domestic moments and material celebration are dedicated to niches, corners and walls.

This house invites a rich life.

From the Houses Awards jury.

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8 Yard House is built on the land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin nation.

Location Melbourne, Vic

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Architect Studio Bright +61 3 9853 4730 info@studiobright.com.au studiobright.com.au

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Project team Melissa Bright, Robert McIntyre, Todd de Hoog, Maia Close, Pei She Lee Builder Basis Builders Engineer Meyer Consulting Landscape designer Peachy Green Landscape contractor Vogue Grange

8 YARD HOUSE

Photographer Rory Gardiner

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JOINT WINNER 2021 NEW HOUSE OVER 200 M²

FEDERAL HOUSE

BY E D I T I O N OFFICE

Award for New House over 200 m2 is supported by

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FEDERAL HOUSE

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

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Located on a sloping remote landscape, Federal House is both hard and soft. The existential experience of inhabiting this ancient landscape is acknowledged through the confidence of the building as a discrete object, announcing “I am here.” However, the quiet and elegant form is the first mediation between inside antd outside: the apparent solidity of the object is deconstructed by fine-grain timber battens.

The interior experience of this house might have been a neatly contained but detached experience of one’s surroundings. Instead, the interior establishes a layered connection to place and between overlapping activities. This is achieved using a deep verandah-like space that converts the hallway into a covered outdoor room, a type used similarly in colonial homestead buildings and,

Federal House is built on the land of the Bundjalung people. Location Federal, NSW

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Architect Edition Office +61 3 9419 5575 info@edition-office.com edition-office.com

more acutely, in Asian architectures as layered and sheltering threshold spaces.

The section anchors the house to the site in the lower-ground spaces and has a reciprocal anchoring effect on the user, controlled through interiority and human scale. Literally grounding the project is a sheltered black-concrete subterranean pool, linked to a planted void at the heart of the home.

From the entry above, this void allows glimpses through ferns to the still body of water beneath.

Federal House recovers the calmness of shade and shadow where only certain textures become available, such as the silver patina of the crown of wood grain.

From the Houses Awards jury.

For further coverage see Houses 140.

Project team Kim Bridgland, Aaron Roberts Builder S. J. Reynolds Constructions Engineer Westera Partners Landscape designer Florian Wild

FEDERAL HOUSE

Photographer Benjamin Hosking

L AT I T U D E S H O W C A S E

A matter of perspective

Melbourne-based architectural photographer Peter Clarke of Latitude Group is behind the documentation of many of Australia’s most beautiful residential interiors.

Peter Clarke’s affiliation with the built form and appreciation for design has gained him a reputation as one of Australia’s leading architectural photographers. Working in the industry for more than 25 years, Peter has collaborated with some of Australia’s most progressive designers to photograph landmark projects and natural and built landscapes. Peter’s work successfully combines his passion for photography, architecture and design, drawing these influences together to create a cohesive vision of the finished form.

His collaborative approach and strong vision have seen his unique graphic style applied to a wide range of industries, including architecture, construction, mining and aviation.

Like many photographers, Peter is always looking for the next shot, which has led him to develop a series of limited edition architectural landscape prints. These prints have found their way into a number of commercial foyers and private homes, many of them appearing at a large scale in order to make a memorable first impression. The Editions series is an ongoing project that is driven not by volume but by a lifelong study of the environment through the lens.

The series captures a unique perspective, featuring a mix of on-ground and aerial imagery of stunning mountain ranges, ridges and valleys.

Peter’s approach to photography maintains a level of sophistication that is supported by current technology, enabling greater detail to be captured than ever before.

In each image, a series of exposures or greater dynamic range can be further realized in post-production, and it is this technical ability that elevates Peter’s work on largescale photo shoots. As many designers continue to push the bounds of construction and employ a high level of materiality, Peter’s affinity with design ensures that the right aspects and angles are captured. Peter understands the importance of his role in conveying the designer’s intent, and so he works carefully to understand that intent before developing an approach. The result is a tightly controlled visual mood and set of key shots for each project.

As built works continue to grow in complexity, photography remains an ever-important part of each project.

Peter’s work continues to shine new light and composition onto completed projects, clearly articulating the designer’s original vision. This is at the heart of his work – an affiliation with, and appreciation for, the built form.

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For more information about Peter Clarke visit peterclarke.com.au or @peterclarkephoto

HOUSES 141

LATITUDE SHOWCASE

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WINNER 2021 NEW HOUSE UNDER 200 M²

THREE HOUSE

BY J OH N E L L W AY

Award for New House under 200 m² is supported by

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THREE HOUSE

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

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Three House reposes easily in its treed, undulating inner-Brisbane suburban setting. It is without pomp or grandeur, yet beneath the surface lies a compelling logic. The 197-square-metre house is potentially three homes: a primary house, a studio and a granny flat or teenager’s retreat.

In its even striding over the site, the house establishes diverse outdoor spaces – using space to both separate and focus internal activities – while at the same time allowing passage for surface water flow down the site’s central landform, a gentle gully.

The house responds to the visual character code of the neighbourhood, which controls roof shape and verandah positions and dictates the use of lightweight timber detailing. A series of pyramidroofed pavilions is rhythmically patterned without

Three House is built on the land of the Turrbal and Yuggera people.

Location Brisbane, Qld

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Architect John Ellway Architect +61 408 070 417 mail@jellway.com jellway.com

fuss, able to open and close to site opportunities and to momentary user responses to weather or privacy. Floor plates step to connect to the ground plane, establish undercrofts or frame different prospects.

Detailing is pared back; inventive yet traditional. Vertical sliding shutters give all enclosed spaces a verandah-like experience.

This house breathes beautifully.

Built from low embodied energy materials, adaptable and affordable: this is an architecture we can all learn from. Three House is informal yet elegant, rambling yet constrained; an easy Australian house.

From the Houses Awards jury.

For further coverage see Houses 139.

Project team John Ellway Builder PJL Projects Engineer Westera Partners Landscape design Studio Terrain Planning consultant Bartley Burns Energy consultant Esco Energy Solutions

THREE HOUSE

Photographer Toby Scott

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WINNER 2021 H O U S E A LT E R AT I O N A N D ADDITION OVER 200 M²

H I G H G AT E PA R K H O U S E

BY VO K E S AND PETERS

Award for House Alteration and Addition over 200 m² is supported by

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HIGHGATE PARK HOUSE

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HOUSES AWARDS

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This Brisbane home has a civic presence that contributes to its park-side locale. The new additions translate the form and scale of the original weatherboard cottage with a robust materiality that is fitting of both the heritage of one of the owners and the migrant history of the neighbourhood.

The arrangement of private and shared parts of the house is planned with exceptional clarity. Generous living spaces, designed to accommodate extended multigenerational family gatherings, continue into delightful walled gardens. Considered apertures in the brick and concrete boundary walls provide privacy yet also allow

Highgate Park House is built on the land of the Turrbal and Yuggera people.

Location Brisbane, Qld

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Architect Vokes and Peters +61 7 3846 2044 mail@vokesandpeters.com vokesandpeters.com

engagement with, and passive surveillance of, the street.

An elegantly detailed metal gate offers access to and from the adjacent park. The beautifully articulated design response inverts what might otherwise have been a defensive approach to an exposed corner site.

This thoughtful project takes advantage of its site, not only for the benefit of the young family who lives there but also for the enrichment of the immediate neighbourhood.

From the Houses Awards jury.

For further coverage see Houses 136.

Project team Aaron Peters, Stuart Vokes, Emma Robinson Builder Robson Constructions Engineer Paterdis Landscape designers Dan Young Landscape Architect, Werner Weis Landscapes Interiors Georgia Cannon

HIGHGATE PARK HOUSE

Photographer Christopher Frederick Jones

TA U B M A N S C H R O M AT I C J OY

S PA R K J OY T H R O U G H C O LO U R .

C H R O M AT I C J OY S H O W C A S E S C O LO U R A N D D E S I G N I N S P I R AT I O N F R O M VA R I O U S TRAILBLAZERS, DESIGNERS AND LEADERS ACROSS THE GLOBE. C H R O M AT I C J OY. C O M

WINNER 2021 H O U S E A LT E R AT I O N A N D ADDITION UNDER 200 M²

ANNERLEY HOUSE

BY Z U Z A N A AND NICHOLAS

Award for House Alteration and Addition under 200 m² is supported by

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ANNERLEY HOUSE

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HOUSES AWARDS

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Annerley House is a joyful addition to a Brisbane cottage, a transformation that demonstrates the effectiveness of thoughtful architecture at any scale within our suburbs.

Zuzana and Nicholas has shunned the single-room, open-plan rear addition in favour of making a delightful series of indoor and outdoor rooms. This whole-of-site approach acknowledges the traditional planning arrangement of the cottage and establishes a contemporary response to the garden, within limited means.

The garden’s presence within the home is heightened via varied threshold conditions – a generous concrete window seat, a finely crafted bay window and multiple “lookouts” from the library

Annerley House is built on the land of the Turrbal and Yuggera people.

Location Brisbane, Qld

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Architect Zuzana and Nicholas +61 414 762 463 mail@zuzanaandnicholas.com zuzanaandnicholas.com

eyrie – allowing connectivity and framed views between the different rooms of the house and the garden.

As part of the transformation, traditional elements, material choices and construction techniques are reinvented, resulting in an intelligent and playful dialogue between new and old.

It is easy to imagine spending an afternoon at Annerley House, or sharing a meal around its kitchen table, and it is this ease that demonstrates the architect’s immense skill in facilitating not just the architecture, but also the life to be lived within it.

From the Houses Awards jury.

For further coverage see Houses 140.

Project team Nicholas Skepper, Zuzana Kovar Builder Contrast Constructions Engineer NGS Structural Engineers Landscape designer Jonathan Kopinski

ANNERLEY HOUSE

Photographer Christopher Frederick Jones

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BRUNSWICK APARTMENT

WINNER 2021 A PA R T M E N T OR UNIT

BRUNSWICK A PA R T M E N T B Y M U R R AY BARKER AND ESTHER STEWART

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

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hatch, are retained and celebrated. With a modest budget, significant improvements have been made to functionality and liveability. The reconfigured kitchen has been designed as an extra-compact living space and includes a new, cleverly integrated skylight within the pitched roof space.

Acute observations and discrete, playful interventions have resulted in an alluring and sophisticated refurbishment.

A frequently overlooked and neglected apartment typology in many Australian cities, the 1960s brick walk-up flat is celebrated in this joyous and elegant project. The design, a collaboration between architect Murray Barker and artist Esther Stewart, has done just enough to give the existing apartment a new life as a contemporary home. Without pastiche, the new work references the nostalgia of the 1960s with a palette of muted colours, figured stone and graphic terrazzo.

Original elements of the apartment, such as the pastel-coloured bathroom fixtures and the dairy

Brunswick Apartment is built on the land of the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation.

Location Melbourne, Vic

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From the Houses Awards jury.

For further coverage see Houses 138.

Architect Murray Barker +61 450 618 812 murraybarker@gmail.com murraybarker.com

Project team Murray Barker, Esther Stewart Builder Ultimate Outdoor Engineer Stantin Consulting Joinery Lex Furniture Steel fabrication Idle Hands

BRUNSWICK APARTMENT

Photographer Benjamin Hosking

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WINNER 2021 GARDEN OR LANDSCAPE

8 YA R D HOUSE

BY STU D I O BRIGHT WITH P E AC H Y G R E E N

Award for Garden or Landscape is supported by

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8 YARD HOUSE

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HOUSES AWARDS

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Garden is everything in this home by Studio Bright, where as much design attention has been given to external spaces as it has to internal spaces. Set on an inner-urban site in Melbourne’s north, this home is punctured by a series of eight yards, each with a different mood and function, some hardscaped and others softscaped. Working closely with landscape design studio Peachy Green, the architect has carefully choreographed the way each of these courtyards is experienced from within the home.

Connections are attuned to the nature of family life. Views to the pool area from the dining room enable child supervision without compromising a summer dinner party, while the sunken main living area connects to a flat and open space for kicking a ball or shooting some hoops. Quiet retreat from family life is also catered for, in the narrow study space that overlooks a calming, leafy courtyard, or in the main bedroom’s private pocket garden, which allows glimpses of the street’s activity through the undulating brick screen.

This is a remarkable home that genuinely establishes a connection between its inhabitants and the outdoors, in all weather and seasons. In a year that has seen a renewed appreciation of private open space and the need to prioritize wellbeing, it will serve its family far into the future.

From the Houses Awards jury.

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8 Yard House is built on the land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin nation.

Location Melbourne, Vic

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Architect Studio Bright +61 3 9853 4730 info@studiobright.com.au studiobright.com.au

Project team Melissa Bright, Robert McIntyre, Todd de Hoog, Maia Close, Pei She Lee Builder Basis Builders Engineer Meyer Consulting Landscape designer Peachy Green Landscape contractor Vogue Grange

8 YARD HOUSE

Photographer Rory Gardiner

LYSAGHT. BUILD ON.

JOINT WINNER 2021 HOUSE IN A H E R I TA G E C O N T E X T

SRG HOUSE

BY F OX J O H N STO N

Award for House in a Heritage Context is supported by

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SRG HOUSE

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

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SRG House by Fox Johnston comes with an impressive architectural pedigree. The locally significant 1970s semi in Balmain is one of a pair formerly owned by eminent architect Sir Roy Grounds and his son Marr, an architect, lecturer and sculptor. Marr commissioned architect Stuart Whitelaw to design the two houses, and this semi was used by Roy as his Sydney pied-à-terre.

As may be expected, the bones were excellent and the Balmain views were stunning. However, time had intervened and the original treehouse concept had been altered.

Fox Johnston prioritized retention of the existing structure and connection to the landscape, with the original zigzag plan established around major trees. The architect’s work with landscape designer Dangar Barin Smith re-establishes the important bushland setting.

Clever interventions addressed deterioration and contemporary living requirements. New fixed and sliding window sections have been inserted, opening the house to natural air and enhancing its thermal performance. The garage, a 1983 addition, was transformed into a grandparents’ annexe, connected to the main house by a glass bridge to provide multigenerational living. Research by Lymesmith revealed the materials and colouring of the original house, which the architect used to both restore and inspire new work.

From the Houses Awards jury.

For further coverage see Houses 139.

SRG House is built on the land of the Gadigal and Wangal people of the Eora nation.

Location Sydney, NSW

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Architect Fox Johnston +61 2 9211 2700 contact@foxjohnston.com.au foxjohnston.com.au

Project team Conrad Johnson, Stefania Reynolds, Ben Warren, Sreeja Banerji Builder SQ Projects with Dot Kom Carpentry Engineer SDA Structures Landscape design Dangar Barin Smith Colour design consultant Lymesmith Heritage consultant Urbis

SRG HOUSE

Photographers Anson Smart, Brett Boardman

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JOINT WINNER 2021 HOUSE IN A H E R I TA G E C O N T E X T

T H E H AT FAC TOR Y

BY W E LS H AND MAJOR

Award for House in a Heritage Context is supported by

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THE HAT FACTORY

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

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1 Entry 2 Garage/multipurpose space 3 Bedroom/ study 4 Courtyard 5 Living/dining

6 Kitchen 7 Pantry 8 Atrium/ lightwell 9 Robe 10 Terrace 11 BBQ/store

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The Hat Factory by Welsh and Major has a colourful past. The building, most recently partially derelict after fire and its use as a notorious squat, is an important feature that anchors locally listed Hollis Park in Newtown. The brief to create a pair of flexible, contemporary residences could have erased history but instead has enriched it. The private residences acknowledge existing social attachment to the place and add a readable new layer. This public gesture is made more generous in the absence of a heritage listing or any requirement for the built fabric to be retained.

The retention of deteriorated fabric as a platform for new development required creative design, careful engineering and skilled building.

From the street, the upper-floor additions appear to effortlessly complement the old. The rudimentary nature of the factory is beautifully offset by the lightness of the construction and the industrial aesthetic. The staircase is an absolute highlight.

Welsh and Major has balanced the achievement of a flexible, future-focused home for their clients with a reworking of a gritty part of the public realm.

The project should be applauded for demonstrating commitment to, and passion for, re-valuing our past as part of a richer future.

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Project team Andrew Short, Chris Major, Katrina Passer, Felicity May, Danielle Severino Builder SFN Constructions Engineer Central Engineers Heritage consultant and town planner Urbis Lighting and electrical Lighting Art and Science Quantity surveyor QS Plus Surveyor G. K. Wilson

THE HAT FACTORY

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Architect Welsh and Major +61 2 9699 6066 mail@welshmajor.com welshmajor.com

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From the Houses Awards jury.

The Hat Factory is built on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation.

Location Sydney, NSW

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Photographer Anthony Basheer

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WINNER 2021 S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

NIGHT SKY

BY P E T E R ST U TC H B U RY A RC H I T ECT U R E

Award for Sustainability is supported by

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NIGHT SKY

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

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Night Sky by Peter Stutchbury Architecture is a modest home; unique, sustainable, biophilic and fit for purpose. It produces all its own energy, collects its own water, is made in large part out of recycled materials, connects to its local context and uses low-toxic finishes and fittings. Low-water gardens are planted with drought-tolerant indigenous species that support local biodiversity. Additionally, the house is fully accessible, designed to enable its occupant, who lives with a disability, to feel connected and at ease.

The home celebrates the local economy.

The majority of its materials are Australian-made, recycled and obtained from within a 120-kilometre radius, and 75 percent of trades were sourced through one contractor. This minimizes carbon emissions related to travel time while also supporting local businesses, many of them craftspeople and makers.

The design is efficient not just in its planning, but also in its ability to stabilize temperature passively.

Recycled double-brick and insulated walls store and release heat, and the skylight in the central vaulted parabolic room enables two-way ventilation.

Night Sky is equipped with 63 photovoltaic panels with 20 kW of power generation and 34 kW of storage. It uses evacuated tubes for hot water, minimum electronics, low-energy fixtures and 12-volt lighting. The home collects, stores and filters 60,000 litres of rainwater at ground temperature.

From the Houses Awards jury.

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Night Sky is built on the land of the Dharug and Gundungurra people. Location Blue Mountains, NSW

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Architect Peter Stutchbury Architecture +61 2 9979 5030 info@peterstutchbury.com.au peterstutchbury.com.au

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Project team Peter Stutchbury, Fernanda Cabral, Sobi Slingsby Builder Dimark Construction Engineer ROC Engineering Design Landscape designer Sophie Zaccone Hydraulic consultant J. C. L. Development Solutions Window and door consultant Bakers Joinery Skylight consultant Simple Motion

NIGHT SKY

Photographer Michael Nicholson

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JOINT WINNER 2021 EMERGING ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE

OTHER ARCHITECTS

Award for Emerging Architecture Practice is supported by

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OTHER ARCHITECTS

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

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02

Other Architects, led by directors Grace Mortlock and David Neustein, is recognized as a joint winner of this award for the practice’s tenacious pursuit of ideas in architecture, via built and unbuilt works, that seek to shift our relationship to housing.

The term “speculative housing” has become synonymous with profit generation. But, as an emerging practice, Other Architects’ speculative focus is rather on generating propositions, advancing discussion and building a culture around contemporary models of housing through lectures and exhibitions – returning a focus to the inhabitants as we embrace increasingly dense living as a normative model in Australia.

An equally impressive emerging portfolio of built work demonstrates a skilful hand, which collects the practice’s foundational research and makes spatial experiences that are intelligent, uplifting and delightful.

Other Architects describes its service as “documented thinking,” and its ideas as “scalable, replicable and easily communicated.” This broad definition – spanning from the big picture to the detail – leaves the jury excited about Other Architects’ future, and its potential to positively impact our collective approach to housing.

01 Highlands House (NSW). Photograph: Clinton Weaver.

02 Double House (NSW), dualoccupancy concept.

03 Robertson House (NSW), model.

From the Houses Awards jury.

03

Architect Other Architects +61 466 345 643 office@otherarchitects.com otherarchitects.com

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OTHER ARCHITECTS

Photographer Clinton Weaver

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JOINT WINNER 2021 EMERGING ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE

CURIOUS PRACTICE

01

Award for Emerging Architecture Practice is supported by

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CURIOUS PRACTICE

02

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HOUSES AWARDS

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03

In 1961 José Antonio Coderch wrote of architects: “Let them work with a rope tied to one leg, to stop them from staying too far from the earth where they have their roots, and the people they know best, and let them stand on a solid base of dedication, goodwill and integrity.”

It is this commitment to building the “living tradition” – which Coderch also suggests might still be within our reach – that sees Curious Practice, led by directors Warren Haasnoot and Greg Lee, recognized as a joint winner of this award.

The practice aspires to produce work that has the highest regard for the community in which it is made, resulting in unassuming yet delightful homes; homes that offer neighbourliness and connectivity to our streets and public places.

As testament to this aspiration, the jury found a prolific portfolio of houses that shun profligate spatial and material choices, and are instead imbued with intelligence, innovation and, of course, curiosity.

01–02 Lambton House (NSW), 2020.

03 Vikki’s Place (NSW), 2019. For further coverage, see Houses 130.

04 Valencia Street (NSW), 2020.

04

From the Houses Awards jury.

Architect Curious Practice +61 412 086 882 mail@curiouspractice.com curiouspractice.com

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CURIOUS PRACTICE

Photographer Katherine Lu

Architect: Core Collective Architects / Photography: Adam Gibson

Be inspired

by Australia’s best homes

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95

02 NEW HOUSE OVER 200 M² 01 Mystery Bay House (NSW)

by Jack Hawkins Architect with Rob Hawkins.

Photograph: Kate Hawkins.

01

02 Mt Coot-tha House (Qld)

by Nielsen Jenkins.

Photograph: Tom Ross.

NEW HOUSE UNDER 200 M²

03

04

03 Night Sky (NSW)

by Peter Stutchbury Architecture. Photograph: Michael Nicholson.

04 Lambton House (NSW)

by Curious Practice.

Photograph: Katherine Lu. 05 Highlands House (NSW) by Other Architects.

Photograph: Clinton Weaver.

06 Twin Houses (Qld)

by John Ellway.

Photograph: Toby Scott.

05

96

06

COMMENDATIONS

C O M M E N D AT I O N S H O U S E A LT E R AT I O N AND ADDITION OVER 200 M²

07

07 Milkbar House (Vic)

by Kennedy Nolan.

Photograph: Derek Swalwell.

08 East Fremantle House (WA) by Nic Brunsdon.

Photograph: Dion Robeson.

09 Richmond House (Vic) by Therefore.

Photograph: Rory Gardiner.

10 SRG House (NSW)

by Fox Johnston.

Photograph: Anson Smart.

08

09

10

SEE MORE, VISIT H O U S E S A W A R D S. C O M.A U/G A L L E R Y

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

97

H O U S E A LT E R AT I O N AND ADDITION UNDER 200 M²

11

12

11 Smash Repair House (NSW)

by Matt Elkan Architect.

Photograph: Clinton Weaver.

12 Northcote Terrace (Vic)

by Lovell Burton Architecture.

Photograph: Rory Gardiner.

13 The Hat Factory (NSW)

by Welsh and Major.

Photograph: Anthony Basheer.

13

A PA R T M E N T OR UNIT 14 MB Apartment (NSW)

by Bokey Grant.

Photograph: Clinton Weaver.

14

15

15 The Lothian (Vic)

by Kennedy Nolan.

Photograph: Derek Swalwell.

98

COMMENDATIONS

C O M M E N D AT I O N S GARDEN OR LANDSCAPE 16 SRG House (NSW) by Fox Johnston with Dangar Barin Smith. Photograph: Mark Syke.

17 Y3 Garden (Qld)

by Dan Young Landscape Architect. Photograph: Andy Macpherson.

16

17 HOUSE IN A H E R I TA G E C O N T E X T 18 Oliver Lane Apartment (Vic)

by O’Connor and Houle Architecture and Landscapes.

Photograph: James Geer.

19 Milkbar House (Vic)

by Kennedy Nolan.

Photograph: Derek Swalwell.

20 Smash Repair House (NSW) by Matt Elkan Architect.

Photograph: Clinton Weaver.

18

19

HOUSES 141

20

HOUSES AWARDS

SEE MORE, VISIT H O U S E S A W A R D S. C O M.A U/G A L L E R Y

99

S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

22

21 Davison Street Collaborative (Vic) by Archier.

Photograph: Tess Kelly.

22 Limestone House (Vic)

by John Wardle Architects.

Photograph: Dianna Snape.

21

23 Minima (NSW) by Trias.

Photograph: Clinton Weaver.

24 Off Grid FZ House (NSW)

by Anderson Architecture.

Photograph: Nick Bowers.

23

24

EMERGING PRACTICE 25 Bokey Grant. Pictured is MB Apartment (NSW).

Photograph: Clinton Weaver.

SEE MORE, VISIT H O U S E S A W A R D S. C O M.A U/G A L L E R Y

100

23

25

COMMENDATIONS

NEW HOUSE OVER 200 M2

8 Yard House Studio Bright

Alexander House Alexander and Co

Banksia House Aphora Architecture

Bellows House Architects EAT

Bronte Terraced House Tobias Partners

Burke Drive House Officer Woods Architects

Camberwell House Clare Cousins Architects

Chenier Eastop Architects

Coastal Court Bower Architecture and Interiors

Coolamon House DFJ Architects

Coopworth FMD Architects

Crackenback Farm House Casey Brown Architecture

Divided House Jackson Clements Burrows Architects

Farmhouse Smith Architects

Federal House Edition Office

Franklin Ola Studio

Garden House Austin Maynard Architects

Harley House Angus Wirth with Drew Heath Architecture Associates

Hillside House 01 Architects Ink

102

SHORTLIST

SHORTLIST

Hillside House Vokes and Peters

House One Architects Ink

J and J Residence Hogg and Lamb

K House Renato D’Ettorre Architects

Kyneton House Edition Office

Lavender Bay House Tobias Partners

Levo’s House Clinton Murray Architects

Limestone House John Wardle Architects

Mt Coot-tha House Nielsen Jenkins

Mt Eliza House MRTN Architects

Musk Creek House Noxon Architecture

Mystery Bay House Jack Hawkins Architect with Rob Hawkins

Nannygai Paul Butterworth Architect

One Wingadal Place Collins and Turner with Temple and Stockwell

Pearl Beach House Polly Harbison Design

Riverbank House Wilson Architects

Stonelea Matthew Woodward Architecture

Sunshine Beach House Teeland Architects

Toorak Residence ADDARC

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

103

NEW HOUSE UNDER 200 M²

Baker Boys Beach House Refresh Design

Bondi House Fox Johnston

Bundeena House Tribe Studio Architects

Cumulus House Chris Connell Design

Davison Street Collaborative Archier

Eastbourne Eastop Architects

Highlands House Other Architects

Killora Bay Lara Maeseele in association with Tanner Architects

Lambton House Curious Practice

Long Road James Russell Architect

Macdonald Road House Philip Stejskal Architecture

Minima Trias

Night Sky Peter Stutchbury Architecture

Off Grid FZ House Anderson Architecture

Permanent Camping Two Casey Brown Architecture

Pop-up House Figr Architecture Studio

Porous House Possible Studio

St Andrews Bach Wolveridge Architects

Three House John Ellway

Torrens Street House Officer Woods Architects

Twin Houses John Ellway

Y House Andrew Simpson Architects

104

SHORTLIST

SHORTLIST HOUSE A LT E R AT I O N AND ADDITION OVER 200 M² Barwon Heads House Adam Kane Architects

Birchgrove House Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

Bona Vista Studio Prineas

Carlton Terrace Clare Cousins Architects

Carringbush Hotel DesignOffice

Clovelly House Tribe Studio Architects

Dulwich Hill House Tribe Studio Architects

East Fremantle House Nic Brunsdon

Elwood Bungalow Rob Kennon Architects

Erskine House Kennedy Nolan

Evelyn Myers Ellyett

Flinders Beach House Noxon Architecture

Glebe House Tribe Studio Architects

Hawthorn House Kennedy Nolan

Highgate Park House Vokes and Peters

Lena Smart Design Studio

Milkbar House Kennedy Nolan

Mornington Peninsula House Studio Esteta

Neal and Shirley’s DFJ Architects

Orient Street House Philip Stejskal Architecture

Poinciana House Nielsen Jenkins

Redwood Chenchow Little

Richmond House Therefore

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

105

HOUSE A LT E R AT I O N AND ADDITION OVER 200 M² CONTINUED

Spotted Gum House Alexander and Co

River House Furminger

Scotia House Myers Ellyett

Signalman’s Quarters 1+2 Architecture

SRG House Fox Johnston

Summer House NTF Architecture

Terracotta House Austin Maynard Architects

HOUSE A LT E R AT I O N AND ADDITION UNDER 200 M² 3 House Channon Architects and Burton Architects

Timberstick House Pleysier Perkins

Waffle House Rob Kennon Architects

Annerley House Zuzana and Nicholas

Barkly House Dan Gayfer Design

Bianco House Ha Arc

Casa Carlton Ellen Kwek and Michael Frazzetto

Cunningham Street Residence Studiofour

Hill End House Vokes and Peters

Lucy’s Place Custom Mad

Northcote Terrace Lovell Burton Architecture

Oye Mi Canto House CplusC Architectural Workshop

Pettit and Sevitt MKII Ironbark Architecture

Pirie Street Extension Preston Lane

Pony Wowowa Architecture

106

SHORTLIST

SHORTLIST HOUSE A LT E R AT I O N AND ADDITION UNDER 200 M² CONTINUED

Smash Repair House Matt Elkan Architect

Princes Hill House Atelier Wagner

Riley’s Terrace Adele McNab Architect

Seddon House Clinton Murray Architects

South Yarra House Lande Architects

The Hat Factory Welsh and Major

Turn House Rebecca Naughtin Architect

Basement Apartment Brad Swartz Architects

Breese St DKO Architecture with Breathe Architecture and Milieu Property

A PA R T M E N T OR UNIT

Vivarium Architecture Architecture

Brunswick Apartment Murray Barker and Esther Stewart

Carlton Apartment AKA Kathryn Tom Eckersley Architects

Coodye Apartments Virginia Kerridge Architect

Cooma Terrace Townhouses Caloundra Open Architecture Studio and Jasper Brown Architects in Association

Darling Apartment Blair Smith Architecture

Henry Street Townhouse Maria Danos Architecture

Kirribilli Apartment McGregor Westlake Architecture and Julia English Architects

MB Apartment Bokey Grant

Melburnian Apartment Edition Office

Oliver Lane Apartment O’Connor and Houle Architecture and Landscapes

The Lothian Kennedy Nolan

Unit for Arwen Weaver and Co Architects

HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

107

GARDEN OR LANDSCAPE

Woolstore Apartment Renovation KIN Architects

Oye Mi Canto House CplusC Architectural Workshop with Bell Landscapes

Prospect Hill Bethany Williamson Landscape Architecture

8 Yard House Studio Bright with Peachy Green

Indigo Slam Pool Smart Design Studio with Christopher Owen

Riverbank House Wilson Architects

SRG House Fox Johnston with Dangar Barin Smith

HOUSE IN A H E R I TA G E CONTEXT

Stealth Pavilion Plus Minus Design with Dangar Barin Smith

Y3 Garden Dan Young Landscape Architect

Basement Apartment Brad Swartz Architects

Camberwell House Clare Cousins Architects

Carringbush Hotel DesignOffice

Dulwich Hill House Tribe Studio Architects

Hawthorn House Kennedy Nolan

Oliver Lane Apartment O’Connor and Houle Architecture and Landscapes

Richmond House Therefore

Milkbar House Kennedy Nolan

Signalman’s Quarters 1+2 Architecture

Smash Repair House Matt Elkan Architect

SRG House Fox Johnston

The Hat Factory Welsh and Major

108

8 Yard House Studio Bright

SHORTLIST

SHORTLIST S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y

Breese St DKO Architecture with Breathe Architecture and Milieu Property

Davison Street Collaborative Archier

Divided House Jackson Clements Burrows Architects

Federal House Edition Office

Fern Passivhaus Apartments Steele Associates Architects

Fiddleback House Studiofish, Design Bright, Detail Green and JH Building and Design

Limestone House John Wardle Architects

Macdonald Road House Philip Stejskal Architecture

Minima Trias

Night Sky Peter Stutchbury Architecture

Sol House Anderson Architecture

EMERGING ARCHITECTURE PRACTICE

Vivarium Architecture Architecture

Off Grid FZ House Anderson Architecture

Bokey Grant

Curious Practice

Blair Smith Architecture

Eastop Architects

Other Architects

R E G I S T R AT I O N S F O R T H E 2022 HOUSES AWARDS WILL OPEN IN JANUARY 2022.

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HOUSES 141

HOUSES AWARDS

109

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Officer Woods IN PROFILE

Robust, versatile and seasonally responsive, the distinctive houses of this Fremantle studio are shaped not by the transience of fashion but rather the everyday patterns of habitation.

Words by Simon Pendal Photography by Robert Frith, Peter Bennetts

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In preparing to write about the houses of Officer Woods – a practice I admire as an architect and whose directors I know well – I have opted to view the work as a client’s architectural advisor, as if I was assisting someone who wished to commission a house of this kind. My study of a collection of five houses, which spans much of this Fremantle studio’s fourteen years of practice, reveals consistent themes and design responses, and illuminates Jennie Officer and Trent Woods’s specific approach to architecture.

First impressions matter and so I will start with an observation that these houses appear unmotivated by fashion. There is a distinct absence of all the seductive motifs proliferated on social media platforms about architecture, all of which are attempts at a kind of currency, but which rapidly fade and strand a project in time. This work is less interested in the saleable image and more interested in how people might be housed. How living might be viewed through

lenses of variety and broad-spectrum potential, even when it’s not very glamorous, which, let’s face it, is most of the time. In these houses, budgets are wringed for value, and their design works in concert with climate, weather, time of day and season. They describe how privacy is managed – especially when it may be at risk – and how the direct use of materials and construction can be turned into a distinct, aesthetic value.

Two of these houses, Burke Drive House (2020) and Torrens Street House (2020), sit on sites with a significant slope and their designs immediately reveal a skilled and architectural response to fundamental site conditions, something that volume builders seem incapable of. From these sloping sites have emerged undercrofts, under-gardens and volumes that stretch skyward. These are hard-working spaces that can perform multiple roles, giving owners broad choice in what occurs around their houses.

Hope Street House section 1:400

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Porch Entry Living Dining Kitchen Laundry Terrace Parking Family Bedroom Balcony

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01 Practice directors Trent Woods and Jennie Officer.

02 A covered outdoor space at Hope Street House (2016) offers shelter, privacy and openness.

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03 A split-level plan permits views between rooms.

Artworks: Jakayu Biljabu (left wall), Nora Wompi (upstairs).

04 Hope Street House demonstrates how the direct use of materials can be turned into a distinct aesthetic value.

01–04 Photographs: Robert Frith

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IN PROFILE

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05 Burke Drive House (2020) is a new house featuring an elevated living area designed to preserve plentiful open space.

06 The design capitalizes on its sloping block by incorporating a large shaded undercroft.

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Driveway Turntable Store Lower terrace 5 Lift 6 Barbecue

07 A generous, curving window responds to requirements for privacy, views and solar access.

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Cellar Entry Kitchen Dining Sitting Study Bedroom

05-07 Photographs: Robert Frith.

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These under-spaces offer welcome adaptability and are used for parking cars and obtaining shade; for hosting makeshift workshops, a ping pong table, kids’ parties and drying beach towels; as a covered place for sandy-feet living and year-round, all-weather use.

On flat sites, Officer Woods has found alternative opportunities for these extra spaces, pulling them inside the edges of the roof and yet allowing them to remain outside.

At Gold Street House (2012) and Hope Street House (2016) they are terraces placed at the houses’ edges, while at Silver Creek House (2010), the carport and terrace are locked in the middle of the plan, absorbed by the house to maximize cohesion. Just enough space is offered, in just the right place.

This is architecture that works for the lives of its owners: places designed for life’s natural patterns and the stuff that goes with it, thoughtfully positioned out of the wind, offering privacy when necessary and openness when needed.

Seasonally responsive, robust, accommodating and versatile.

Stepping further outside, the houses offer little fuss or overt formal gesturing to the street, just the occasional, functional dip or indentation to control the sun or direct the view. The houses are compact, cube-like and therefore

Burke Drive House section 1:400

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IN PROFILE

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efficient, maximizing internal volume from an often-modest total surface area; a canny economic device. At times these tight envelopes are breached, such as at Gold Street House, where a bridge and a balcony take in the potential of a long view. The more compact houses such as Gold Street House, Silver Creek House and Hope Street House are cleverly designed to stand alone or to be repeated like terrace houses, forming whole streets or parts of neighbourhoods. Even Burke Drive House is repeatable with minimal design changes.To the small-to-medium-scale developer and to the local planning authority, this offers the quality of contextual consistency intensified by locally responsive amenity. These houses can positively contribute to city densification because they establish streets and preserve gardens at a 1:1 ratio of building to yard. In the case of Burke Drive House, the introduction of an under-garden means the ratio of house to garden is 1:2.

Look closer still at these compact envelopes and more can be found. They are often layered (not unlike those of the great American architect Louis Kahn or the brilliant Danish architect Jørn Utzon) which reduces each house’s palette to one or two principal materials and serves to clarify

08 A double-height volume is a generous gesture in the compact plan of Gold Street House (2012).

09 Compact and cubelike, Gold Street House is a replicable model for terrace housing.

08–09 Photographs: Peter Bennetts.

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Entry Dining Kitchen Living Bedroom Robe Laundry

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Study Pantry Parking Outdoor shower Terrace Bridge

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This is architecture that works for the lives of its owners: places designed for life’s natural patterns and the stuff that goes with it, thoughtfully positioned out of the wind, offering privacy and openness as needed.

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IN PROFILE

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10 At Torrens Street House (2020), a screen manages privacy between the house and the street.

11 A generous terrace extends the house’s living space while also preserving a modestly scaled built form.

12 The first-floor terrace offers amenity to both the house and the public domain.

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10–12 Photographs: Robert Frith.

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Torrens Street House first floor 1:400

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the whole. This means less is added externally, like lean-tos and verandahs – additions that might require more ongoing maintenance than the principal shelter alone. These layered facades temper the sun over the course of the seasons, coupling environmental performance with internal privacy. In Gold Street House and Hope Street House, the layering-up is at its most profound in the living rooms where large, singular windows are placed high within very tall spaces. This highlevel light is kinder to the room and ensures that the direct view to the garden is obstructed.

Yes – obstructing a garden view can be a good thing.

This design decision creates snug corners within big spaces, often accommodated by built-in furniture, and puts the sky on display. These moments of small scale within the expansive connect to our most ancient modes of inhabitation. I feel safe here. I visualize myself reading a book or sharing an evening chat when the kids are asleep.

The robustness of all this built work means that a broad array of furnishings, furniture, memorabilia and artworks can be accommodated. I think of the interior of

Ray and Charles Eames’s own house with its vast array of keepsakes, both collected and designed over a lifetime of making. The work of Officer Woods lies comfortably at this end of the spectrum and at great distance from the curated precision of Mies van der Rohe and other architects who wish to exert excess control.

Officer Woods are architects of deep conscience.

They speak of things so fundamental and often prosaic – topography, utility, efficiency, privacy, civility – that these ideas can be overlooked or under-valued. What transforms these things from low to high stature are the meticulous habits of their makers: their astute observation of life, their understanding of professional obligation and the longview induced by an extended involvement in academic life as well as in practice-based research. By practising in this way, and by making these prosaic but fundamental things important, Officer Woods improves the day-to-day living of the residents of these houses, and extends those ideas to the broader communities they belong to. officerwoods.com.au

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13 Shaded openings in Silver Creek House (2010; see Houses 83) frame views of the landscape.

14 A robust “lock and leave” beach house, Silver Creek House accommodates varied use and occupancy.

15 Operable panels enable living and sleeping spaces to connect to a central terrace that is open to the elements.

13–15 Photographs: Robert Frith.

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Cavill House

by Hayes and Scott REVISITED

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In postwar Brisbane, local practice Hayes and Scott was a leading proponent of a regional modernism attuned to the sub-tropical climate. Built in 1978, Cavill House in Gold Coast’s Runaway Bay is modest, climatically astute yet also playful, and a delightful example of the practice’s experimental coastal architecture.

Words by Matthew Eagle Photography by Christopher Frederick Jones

01

Visiting my nan’s apartment in Northcliffe on the Gold Coast during the 1990s, I distinctly remember passing a particular house as I walked to the surf at sunrise. On numerous occasions, bodies were sprawled out on the verandah and lawn, fast asleep, a fallen keg a reminder of the night before.

Here, life was lived outdoors in the public realm. Little did I know that this was the Cormie House (1948) by Hayes and Scott and that Northcliffe had been an epicentre of experimental coastal architecture by Geoffrey Pie, Karl Langer and Hayes and Scott.

Edwin Hayes had a childhood connection to the Gold Coast, having attended the Southport School as a junior.

Educated at Brisbane Central Technical College, he completed his articles with E. M. Ford of Chambers and Ford between 1935 and 1938, and he worked for Emil Sodersten in Sydney in 1939. In 1946, he established Hayes and Scott with Campbell Scott, whom he had met at Chambers and Ford.

Hayes’s parents owned Greddens fashion boutique in Brisbane and were active in the local social scene, and it was through this family connection that Hayes won several commissions for houses on the Gold Coast.

Scott was educated at the University of Queensland and was exposed to the work of Karl Langer, who was a lecturer there. Langer, who had led Peter Behrens’s Vienna studio before emigrating to Australia in 1938, published his seminal paper “Sub-tropical Housing” through the University of Queensland in 1944. Hayes and Scott shared Langer’s values on designing for climate. Concurrently, the Case Study House Program was being launched in Los Angeles. This, alongside the work of other prominent architects (including Marcel Breuer) and international publications of the time, heavily influenced the practice.

In 1967, Neil McCowan, a local developer, purchased 182 hectares of Southport Broadwater wetland, now known as Runaway Bay. Various peninsulas of reclaimed sand were formed, with public parkland to the east adjoining the broadwater and, to the west, canal-front allotments. This arrangement established a unique condition of connection to water on two sides. Marguerite and Gregory Cavill purchased allotment 42. Greg, grandson of James “Jim” Cavill, the founder of the Surfers Paradise Hotel (1924), was publican at the Breakfast Creek Hotel and founded Tangalooma Resort on Moreton Island. A skilled sailor, he was commodore of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron and had a particular passion for restoring boats.

Cavill and Hayes shared common social circles and had collaborated professionally at Tangalooma. In 1977, Greg and Marguerite commissioned Hayes to design a permanent home for their family of five children and, by 1978, Cavill House was complete.

01 Cavill House embraces the Gold Coast’s climate and outdoor lifestyle, encouraging social engagement between house and street.

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02

The entry Entry to Cavill House is via a gate that accesses a raised, walled courtyard set back from the street, generously offering landscape to the public realm. Arriving through this outdoor space heightens the experience of the site and reinforces the connection to climate.

The courtyard The sheltered courtyard provides privacy to the north while maintaining access to moderated natural light and ventilation for the adjoining bedrooms and living spaces. It also establishes a threshold to the public realm, permitting casual surveillance of the street and views to the water beyond. The courtyard walls visually extend and project the internal spaces externally – an idea influenced by the practice’s preoccupation with the work of Breuer.

The plan Diagrammatically, the house is a T, centrally pivoted around a bar. Referencing Cavill’s hospitality roots, this bar services the courtyard to the north, kitchen to the south and dining and lounge areas to the west. Bedrooms are arranged to the east and north-west, with semi-detached and externally accessed bunkhouses located on an upper level providing for flexible living arrangements. The compact plan maximizes access to natural light and ventilation and carefully moderates privacy and prevailing breezes; the house has no airconditioning.

The plan provides for multiple layers of external habitation depending on the weather and, like Langer’s planning prototypes, considers the use of the whole site.

02 Entry to the house is through a walled courtyard, where a screen filters light, ventilation and views.

03 The interior is open to casual surveillance of the street and views of the water beyond.

04 The climatically responsive design enables multiple layers of external habitation.

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The interior is tectonically rich, providing multiple layers of texture. The moderated light and use of timber and painted brick exude a sense of warmth and comfort somewhat reminiscent of a boat cabin.

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The garage The site has unique views to front and rear water. Hayes cleverly maintained these views and public interaction by minimizing the visual impact of the car to the street.

Integrated into the landscape, the northern side driveway preserves access to light and to the garage and canal. The garage also functions as a store for boating equipment and was used for the ritual relaunch parties for restored boats, complete with accompanying piper on the bunkhouse balcony above.

The roof The roof is a single horizontal plane with large eaves, punctuated by clerestory pop-ups adjacent to the lounge, ensuite and kitchen. The ceiling plane establishes a domestic spatial quality while the clerestories provide spatial variance, high-level ventilation and access to moderated natural light.

The continuation of the ceiling externally expands the internal sense of space outside while moderating light and shading the walls and glass. This strategy reflects the influence of Gordon Banfield and demonstrates the significance of the roof as a key spatial, climatic and organizing element in the work of Hayes and Scott.

The materials The interior is tectonically rich, providing multiple layers of texture. The moderated light and use of timber and painted brick exudes a sense of warmth and comfort, somewhat reminiscent of a boat cabin. Externally, the house is modest and robustly detailed, with navy blue used on the roof as a graphic contrast to the bright blue sky.

06

05 Pop-ups in the roof provide spatial variation, high-level ventilation and access to natural light.

06 A covered outdoor shower is suited to the local climate and the house’s waterside setting.

07 Timber and painted brickwork add texture and warmth to the interior.

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Cavill House affirms Hayes and Scott’s ability to execute modest, compact and climatically astute housing.

It is materially honest and structurally rigorous but also exhibits a sense of playfulness. The house is finely tuned for comfortable engagement with the city’s wonderful climate, environment and resulting outdoor culture. It clearly manifests the canon of ideas developed throughout the life of the practice. In 1962, Robin Boyd singled out Hayes and Scott as regional modernists reinterpreting the local vernacular – he was absolutely right.

Current owners Annette and Richard Barnes purchased Cavill House in 1991 as mutual lovers of water and boats. The house, which remains in immaculate condition, has nurtured their three children and now presents as a model for ageing in place – comfortable enough for two on the ground level but easily adapted to accommodate seven when their family visits. In a city grappling with the ongoing threat to its cultural heritage, the Barneses are model custodians for how to value, care for and preserve a city’s architectural heritage, and their love for their home is reassuring.

Author’s note: The author would like to thank Peter Cavill, Richard Barnes and Annette Barnes for their assistance in recollecting the history of Cavill House. Andrew Wilson’s book Hayes and Scott: Post-war Houses (Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, 2005) was used as a reference during research for this article.

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08 The house takes advantage of its connection to water on two sides.

09 The garage is located at the rear of the site, reducing the visual impact of the car to the street.

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Ground floor 1:400

CAVILL HOUSE

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Garage Porch Entry Study Bedroom Lounge Dining Bar TV room Fireplace

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Kitchen Laundry Storage Dressing room Outdoor shower 16 Lanai 17 Courtyard 18 Outdoor room (now lounge)

First floor 1:400

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Cultivated S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y I N I T I AT I V E

A new program for the restoration and refurbishment of authentic furniture and lighting champions the quality and longevity of great design.

Words by Leanne Amodeo

Australian furniture brand Cult has long been an advocate for the enduring appeal of good design and, with the launch of Cultivated, the company continues to prove it. This new sustainability program, which launched at Melbourne Design Week in 2021, has been in development since 2013 and its simple premise is genius. Cultivated offers to buy back aged or end-of-life authentic design, before refurbishing and restoring each piece and returning it to the market for sale. It’s a hugely positive initiative with a strong environmental conscience at its heart.

“We’re investing in the circular economy and reducing the big impact furniture and lighting waste has on the environment,” explains Cultivated’s brand manager Joshua Ellis. “We really want to change people’s mindset and get them to invest in good design that can be used time and time again without being discarded.”

In giving these pieces new purpose and finding them a new home, the program is not only educating people on the financial and environmental benefits of buying authentic design, it’s also investing in local craftspeople, including upholsterers, carpenters and metalworkers.

Take Cultivated’s recent buyback of 180 classic Series 7 chairs, designed by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, from the Art Gallery of New South Wales. The gallery in turn

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used those funds to purchase new products from Cult, while the Series 7 chairs were hand-sanded, with any chips and scratches filled in with wax, before being hand-sanded again and painted to original condition. These chairs can now be found in the lobby and mezzanine of Sydney’s Grosvenor Place and at Appellation wine bar in Melbourne.

Other restorations include the renewal of a Louis Poulsen Artichoke pendant, during which all of the light fitting’s 72 metal leaves were removed, stripped and re-coated, and the refurbishment of an Erik Jørgensen Corona chair, a process that relied on craftspeople who had been trained by Cult’s European brand partners in unique hand-stitching techniques. “Our aim is to do as little as possible to the item, but to get the best results possible,” says Joshua. “Using the least amount of materials and processes goes toward maintaining the integrity of the original product.”

According to the Authentic Design Alliance, the equivalent of 800,000 three-seater sofas, 1.65 million dining tables or 3.4 million coffee tables are thrown away in Australia each year – a truly shocking statistic. Cultivated is doing its bit to combat this problem and, by encouraging the “buy once, buy well” mantra, it is perpetuating the experienced idea that original design has enduring value. cultivated.com.au

POSTSCRIPT

01 The worn leather on an Erik Jørgensen Corona chair is removed and the seat is re-upholstered by skilled craftspeople.

02 The leaves of a weathered Louis Poulsen Artichoke pendant were removed, stripped and re-coated.

Materially Different

Joinery Evenex Deep Grain Oak by Elton Group Designer Joe Adsett Architects Builder Graya Photographer David Chatfield