This home was built on an old farm in the southwest, surrounded by native bushland. The Timms had owned the property for a while and wanted to transform it into a country getaway they could share with their expanding grown-up family.
Gary Timms is a builder and brought his invaluable experience to the project. As an owner-builder he also had a strong idea of what he wanted from the structure, and our design started with his keen interest in the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. We balanced this clean, sophisticated aesthetic with the warmth of natural materials liked rammed earth walls and timber ceilings. We also employed a stonemason, an old friend of the Timms’, to complete the beautiful dry wall construction on the outdoor fireplace. It was crucial to create different outdoor spaces for the different moods of the landscape, so we designed both open and protected areas; the house welcomes the rain on the roof as much as a warm evening under the stars.
As always, light was a central focus in the design, and it was closely tied to the owners’ desire for a sustainable, energy efficient home. High level windows in the middle of the plan bring natural light into the centre of the house throughout the day, while providing shelter during the hottest hours. The north-facing buyviagraed aspect also makes the most of the seasonal changes in the position of the sun for natural heating and cooling.
Reposted from Instagram
The owners of this property loved its location on the border between the city and the beach, and wanted a real connection with the dune landscape of their home. A busy family with three teenage kids, they also wanted a house with an outdoor lifestyle that they could enjoy together.
Rather than building out to dominate the corner block, we inverted the angle in a ‘boomerang’ design which instead hugs the eastern and southern edges of the lot. This opens the house to the northern aspect and connects the occupants in a softer way with the street and beach environment. This shape also works as a barrier to hold back the suburbs behind the house as the front embraces the ocean sky and the native dunes. The two-level design features cantilevered balconies that allow the family to relax in the ocean air, or share the garden, pool and outside living spaces from different areas of the home. The garden, alfresco and pool are the central focus of family life, so the ground level has a feeling of being arranged around them.
We used natural dry stone walling, WA Blackbutt and Pacific Teak to create a relaxed beachside feeling, with a timber clad master bedroom and a stone island fireplace bringing something of the raw natural surroundings inside. The home is designed in a series of ‘platforms’ at different levels, to capture a range of different views. Slot windows in the western side of the house allow the family to enjoy WA’s unique ocean vistas and bathe the central areas in a warm, diffused light, while still protecting the house from the harsh afternoon sun.
Reposted from Instagram
A new home for a young family, this project brought together the living spaces and the garden in a contemporary two-level design. The owners were inspired by Danish designer Arne Jacobsen’s houses of the late 1950’s, and together with them we developed a ‘pavilion in the garden’ concept.
The home’s defining feature is a plywood plane folded and curved over into a ‘C’ shape on the upper level, a playful reference to the owner’s surname. The private areas of the home are sheltered within this curve, which opens above the garden and pool. The heart of the home on the lower level is open plan to match the rhythms of family life with young children, combining the living/dining/kitchen area and playroom. Built-in window seating and covered transition spaces draw the living spaces outside, and in response the garden becomes a series of outdoor rooms to be explored.
The house follows the site’s natural slope, and is a showcase of what can be achieved with sustainable technologies and design. High level windows and extensive glazing on the north side make the most of the winter sun and draw pond-cooled air through the interior in summer. A 5kW photo-voltaic array meets all of the family’s energy needs and a 15,000L underground tank collects rain for the garden and toilet.
Reposted from Instagram
Situated only a few houses back from the beach at South Cottesloe, this home is on small block with a spectacular view of the Indian Ocean. The owners loved the open air and relaxed lifestyle of the beachside location, but they also wanted to maintain the privacy and peacefulness of their home in a busy neighbourhood.
Our approach was centred on this dual nature; the house essentially needed ‘two faces’ to become the home the owners wanted. We started with a glazed pavilion on the upper level, as a light-filled living platform from which to enjoy the buyneurontin views, the Western Australian sun and the ocean air. Situated in the garden, this space was designed to let the owners and their guests look outwards and connect with the home’s surroundings.
On the ground floor the house instead looks inwards to the internal courtyard and plunge pool, allowing the owners to enjoy these outdoor spaces while keeping a sense of seclusion and sanctuary. We contained the private and utilitarian areas of the home with a shielding wall, ensuring there was always a quiet, protected retreat for the occupants.
Reposted from Instagram
Like many South Perth homes, this residence is situated on a sloping block and enjoys the best of the riverside, the suburbs and city. The Bertucci family fell in love with the property’s dramatic views of the Perth skyline and the Swan River, and wanted a family home that would feel both sheltered and spacious.
Our challenge was to bring in the stunning views without bringing in the noise and chaos of the busy road as well. We used the slope of the block to create a tri-level stepped design, with the more utilitarian areas situated downstairs. Upstairs, where the family spend most of their time, the living areas and bedrooms enjoy a more peaceful, raised aspect which looks out to the river and the sky with floor-to-ceiling windows. The western wing was designed as a figurative and literal ‘telescope’, an elevated corridor of open space which soars above the lower structure to frame and capture the view. This raised wing also allowed for a free-plan undercroft connecting the foreshore to the rear courtyard. The hull-shaped eastern wing is a playful nod to the riverside location as well as an embodiment of the ‘shelter’ the owners sought; there is a feeling of security and sanctuary in the rooms beneath its protective curve.
While the owners had very clean, contemporary tastes, they also wanted their family home to be warm and welcoming. We chose natural stone, zinc and timber to create texture and a more relaxed feel, and suffused the living areas with ample natural light to create a sense of softness and warmth.
Reposted from Instagram
The architect’s first design for himself and a true labour of love, this home was built on a subdivided lot near Mount Lawley’s vibrant Beaufort St precinct.
The challenges of a small rear block and a lean budget were incorporated into the design from the beginning, with two-course double brick and a simple roof structure to keep costs low. Timber elements and painted brick give the external surface a textured, masonry appearance, which helped to harmonise the new building in this established, traditionally Federation-style area. Given the enclosed, suburban nature of the lot we really wanted to create a sense of openness within the house, without sacrificing its feeling of seclusion and safety. Doors and windows were carefully placed to frame views of nature, which opens up the living spaces while maintaining the privacy of occupants and neighbours. The north-facing courtyard provides a buyantibioticsonline sheltered outdoor retreat while the first floor offers private, unimpeded city views.
It was important for the house to reflect the architect’s personality as well as his design principles. His favourite colours are present in the turquoise bathroom tiling and also the vivid orange window frames, which infuse subtle warmth into the light entering the house. Salvaged items from his grandparents’ recently demolished house also added memories and significance to each room, in the form of recycled timber cabinetwork, doors, windows and battens.
Reposted from Instagram
These owners didn’t see a vacant lot on Albert St – they saw crisp morning swims and warm evenings spent eating and drinking with friends under the stars. A couple with a love of Perth’s outdoor lifestyle, they wanted a home that would bring an open-air feeling indoors and allow them to drink in the city views even from the more private areas of the house. The outdoor area itself would be a focal point for entertaining, with a generous covered patio space and contemporary, low-maintenance landscaping. The owners are also keen swimmers, so we devoted a substantial part of the ground floor to an impressive L-shaped lap pool, which offers a cool retreat for guests in summer as well as a place to train.
We designed a double-storey open living space with dramatic high ceilings, a glass-railed mezzanine and an indoor courtyard to deliver the deep, spacious feel they wanted. The back buyklonopin of the house became a wall of glass which floods the main space with natural light and offers views of the open sky by day and glittering city lights by night. The house does not so much overlook the yard as unite with it, with full-width glass bi-fold doors offering unimpeded access in seconds.
The owners loved the North Perth area for its combination of the old and new, and we wanted to keep that balance in the materials we chose. A combination of modern and natural materials – stone and wood as well as concrete and glass – created the clean, open feel of a contemporary residence without sacrificing the warmth and comfort of home.
Reposted from Instagram
More than a simple alteration, this project involved stripping away existing additions to bring the owner’s vision to life. A modest, semi-detached worker’s cottage in Highgate, the house had the inner-city location the owners loved, but not yet the contemporary outdoor lifestyle they wanted.
Our design made the most of the compact lot by connecting the different areas of the house all the way through, with as few interruptions as possible. We removed many of the previous alterations, including a poorly constructed ‘lean-to’ and a concrete verandah canopy. Our new extension opened up the interior of the house to the northern aspect, creating a garden terrace area which merges seamlessly with the indoor living space. This terrace area is designed for the owners to enjoy year-round, with stepped levels offering casual seating, and ample shelter from the new overhanging balcony. A timber-framed bull-nose verandah returned some Federation Era style to the front of the home, and the original living room and bedrooms were also restored. What was once a closed-in, poorly renovated house is now a spacious contemporary home, which gives its owners the best of modern inner-city living without losing its Federation appeal.
Reposted from Instagram
The owners of this property saw huge potential in their Highgate worker’s cottage. With a fantastic location and a little imagination, we created a two-storey, open plan design which brought a contemporary, urban feel to the traditional home.
Our plan essentially grafted a two-storey ‘box’ onto the existing building. We maintained the traditional verandah facade and then opened out the back of the property, creating the indoor/outdoor feel the owners were looking for. On the ground level, polished wooden floors step up to the decking of the outside entertaining area. A combination of urban materials with simple finishes – weathering steel gates and fencing, rendered painted brickwork, off-form concrete walls and grey concrete floors – gives the renovation a raw, urban feel, reflecting the edgy character of Highgate. Upstairs, the newly elevated living area overlooks the garden and turns tramadol mail order uk its face to the sky. And from the master bedroom, a ‘Ned Kelly’ slit window spies on the city skyline from the level of the bed, through a black frame of stained timber.
Reposted from Instagram
Situated on the Swan River Estuary overlooking Minim Cove Park, this home spans the threshold where the city meets the river. The location is indicative of what the owners wanted from their home: a secure, private sanctuary from their busy lives, which would still allow them to enjoy the open spaces and natural beauty of their surroundings.
Our design focussed on the beauty of balance. Braced in the bedrock of the hillside, the home feels grounded and sheltered, while the 180-degree views of the river and endless coastal skies convey freedom and space. Moored hull fragments encase the corners of the building, bringing an earthy solidity to a courtyard which opens to the horizon. The interior draws the spectacular vistas inside, bathing the living areas in natural light with glimpses of river and sky through scattered portholes and elliptical skylights.
With such a large space – and a busy family – comfort and sustainability were also very important to the owners. We used ECO-Block insulated concrete form, with a selection of cladding materials which stays true to the contemporary riverside location. The combination of a photo-voltaic array, in-slab hydronic heating, solar pool heating and hot water systems would also help with the bulk of the family’s energy needs.
Reposted from Instagram
