Perry Lakes Residences
Floreat
Bringing the glory of the 1962 Commonwealth Games into the 2020s: the past and the present come together in Perry Lakes.
This group of houses was located in of the ‘Steeplechase Green’ part of the Perry Lakes redevelopment. Owned by one family, the three dwellings included a home for a young couple with a family, an investment property for their parents and a two-storey ancillary dwelling.
Our first challenge for this project was meeting the requirements of the Perry Lakes Design Guidelines, which governed all home designs for the redevelopment. Strictly modernist, the guidelines referenced the VIIth British Empire and Commonwealth Games, held at the original Perry Lakes Stadium in 1962. Our design would need to capture the glory days of 1960s architecture, while still providing for current Australian lifestyles – and current expectations of comfort and amenity.
We built a contemporary vision around iconic modernist design, with a focus on flat rooflines, minimal ornamentation and a soft, pastel palette. Each of the dwellings was designed as a series of concealed-roof white ‘boxes’ floating over face brick podiums. This allowed us to maximise the vertical space and also make use of eaves and overhangs to protect the home from the summer sun. The creation of a double-height alfresco external space further protected the interior of the home – the living areas have a cool, sheltered aspect without feeling enclosed.
Central to our reimagining of the unique 1960s aesthetic was finding ways it could be made sustainable. The dwellings are all designed according to solar passive and energy efficient principles, with north-facing aspects to capture the winter sun while keeping out the worst of the summer heat. An adjustable Vergola on the upper level provides control over sun protection, and a small plunge pool offers the perfect retreat for cooling off on hot days. We also used the concrete breeze-block screens and articulation typical of modernist houses, employing these signature materials in ways that would enhance the sustainability of the structure.
The resulting homes are uncompromisingly modernist in style, but with all benefits of contemporary design. Living spaces are roomy and varied across the homes – there are always places to escape for privacy, shade or work. In the main house, the master bedrooms are separated from the secondary bedrooms to better suit current family life, and it features a spacious study for working remotely. Each dwelling remains a celebration of Perry Lakes’ proud heritage, and also a showcase of what it means to live there now.