1718 Light and Shade House

A steep advantage

Our clients owned a challenging site with steep rising contours at the front of the block and a gradual rise towards the rear. They approached Craig Steere Architects to design a custom, architecturally-designed home that would leverage on site opportunities without compromise to the family's lifestyle. The sloping site afforded the home with a logical undercroft garage slightly lower than the street level. The main home works closely to the middle contours of the site, and is planned around a central courtyard.

Responding to site

Following several site visits we developed a number of considerations to address and work with in the design of the new home. The somewhat introverted elevation of the home facing the main street has been screened with privacy of the occupants in mind. The driveway approaches the home from an infill cut to the south-west corner. This enabled a central entry approach into the home. Occupants and guests arrive at the ground level facing into a landscaped courtyard. Two primary zones split the home in spaces for adults and children respectively. Both zones have been located to the south side of the lot and overlook the courtyard. The siting of the home to the south maximises good, northern light into the interiors. Conversely, a plunge pool and lawn runs along the north edge of the site.

Mod squad

Our clients have a keen interest in mid-century modern style, a nod to the architectural styles found around the Perry Lake precinct. As a result, the home expresses itself as a low-profile, linear structure reminiscent of this style. Because of this simple roof form, the project was assisted by cost efficiencies in construction. Materials and construction details borrow from mid-century styles, giving the home a sense of elegance and timelessness. Contemporary hues used throughout the home have been adapted from mid-century colour palettes.

Easy breezy living

Highlight windows within the home take advantage of excellent cross ventilation of natural cooling breezes. Due to their height, the windows also provide occupants with privacy from the southern neighbour. The home is sited to maximise its northern exposure to the central courtyard as a means to draw north winter sun deep into the majority of the home. The home is also designed with other features for comfortable living including thermal mass and double glazed windows.