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A veiled outlook is provided from the top level, while
full-height sliding doors open to the ground level garden.
The ground floor space is immersed in landscape.
Upstairs a veil of battens provides private outdoor garden
spaces awash with dappled light that change through
day and night. The light softly illuminates the sculpted
interior of the internal spaces. A long void creates view
lines between the various external spaces, emphasising
the importance of garden and connecting the realms of
the house.
The minimal aesthetic of the interior allows the house
to act as a gallery for the client’s art collection. The
sculptural elements of the steel stair and concrete
kitchen bench engage in conversation. The use of mass
materials to form detailed interior objects contrasts
to the external form that is singularly defined by light
and repetitive elements.
How critical was the input of others?
It took a three-way collaboration between architect,
owner and builder, and we laboured continuously to
deliver a well-balanced cost to quality result.
Controlling daylight might sound easy, but not
everyone can.
Light was really important to the clients. They lived
in a warehouse full of natural daylight for a number
of years and wanted to keep that quality of light while
linking to the garden where possible. The difficulty was
making it perform so that we’re getting the required
thermal performance.
The benefits of glass are pretty plain and clear for
all to see here.
They are. Downstairs, the glazing allows occupants to
be one with the garden. Upstairs it’s more about privacy
and filtered light with the whole building wrapped by a
screen. The glass allows a way of feeling the presence
of that screen and the outside conditions without being
exposed to them when they are not pleasant.