Each level is connected by a continuous staricase, which opens out to a double storey void at the linking point between the main residence and the Studio apartment. This point is located at Street Level.
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THE CONCEPT
The idea was to create a piece of architecture which can transform from being completely closed, to completely open. I want the materials used to be all natural and locally sourced, in order of respecting the heritage of its surroundings.
The hypothetical clients include [Client A] an art collector aged in her 50’s, who is recently retired from curating a large art gallery in Sydney, and [Client B] the art collectors daughter, aged 19 years old and studying Fine Arts at a local university. Client A owns the residence. She wants a space where she can show her large art collection to the public, and where she is able to run small, non-profit art classes for the community. There is a strong sense of community in Potts Point, and so this aspect of the local culture was to be translated into parts of the public design. Client A is happy to open part of the house to the public, however given the nature of Kings Cross she wants to have control over when this is going to occur. To resolve this, I wanted to design a facade that could be completely shut at any given time, and be completely open at another time.
Client A wants her living space to be closely connected to the living space of Client B, given their close relationship.
Client B wants to reside in a small studio apartment. In the intial design Ilocated tis apartment on the bottom level, below the loungeroom.
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THE RESULT
The final design includes spaces which ultimately represent this idea of transforming from closed to open, with use of primarily local/natural materials. These materials include Vertical Cedar cladding, which I want to be left to turn silver over time. This material wraps the majority of the house; I was considering its use on the roof, however for practical purposes I would recommend using a grey coloured slate, so that it is the same colour as the cladding.
The base of the home is Sydney Sandstone, arranged without any apparent order.
One of the most significant aspects of the architecture which has been maintained from my initial concepts, is the courtyard which is the centre of the kitchen, loungeroom, and a breezeway/staircase. This courtyard would have a reflective pond, and plant boxes. It would be used as an outdoor entertaining and dining area by both clients. The kitchen and breezeway completely open up into this space, through stacker doors which recede into the wall cavity. This gives the illusion the outside is inside, and vice/versa. This connection to the environment, and confusion of spaces is intentional and repeated in some other parts of the design [discussed later].
The images [clockwise from top left: Fig [A] shows the south western view of the home, which the sandstone base is the main bedroom and above that is lounge room and southern side of the breezeway, Fig [B] The facade on Victoria Street, where the pivet doors and windows are clad the same as the external walls of the house, so that when closed the facade appears completely shut; Fig [C], is the top view of the breezeway, loungeroom and courtward, where a small pebble garden is located upon the flat part of the roof, next to the skylight; Fig [D] is the courtyard, modelled without stacker doors, in order of expressing the desired openness; and Fig [E] an aerial view of the house, taken from the west.
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THE DETAILS
The 1.50 section was taken through the gallery space, 2.5m from the boundary wall. The section was taken at this point as it highlighted some of the key concepts of the building, which are both important and require some explaination.
