Previous pages: Changes in exterior materials and
form help define the various zones of this family
lakeside home by architect Tim Alt. On the upper
level, the children’s bedrooms are on the right,
while the parents bedroom suite is on the left –
separated by a double storey main living area.
Above and facing page: The living area is a
transparent structure looking out to the front yard
on one side and to the lake on the other. Despite
the hard surfaces such as the concrete floor and
steel staircase, this space is remarkably quiet –
thanks to the acoustic material above the black
painted, perforated steel ceiling.
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If you were asked to design a new home
so it best suited a large family, something
like the house featured here is probably
not the first that would come to mind.
Yet when architect Tim Alt explains
his rationale behind the way this home is
organised and functions, it comes across
as the ideal living environment for the
family that includes four boys and two
girls through a wide range of ages.
His starting point was being presented
with a beautiful site – a large lakeside
property, flat and open on the road side
and with an impressive stand of mature
oak trees at the back.
“The site really engenders the very
active lifestyle that this family has,” says
Alt. “They’re constantly doing something
on or around water.”
While other homes in the surround-
ing development had typical suburban
designs, these owners wanted to build a
much more modern house.
“They also wanted something that –
in their words – would be indestructible.
And asked for the design to incorporate