Biophilia.SlateHouse, Northcote: A well-proportioned, high-tech, sustainable home for a family of five that connects with nature, benefiting the residents’ health and well-being. The pitched slate form, reminiscent of the traditional vernacular, combines with contemporary minimalist detailing, bridging past and present : A re-think of the suburban house.

Biophilia.SlateHouse is designed to interact and engage with nature, the essence of Biophilic design. Below the strong monolithic slate form, a simple ground floor plan interweaves with nature, meandering out and in, carving two courtyards, at once grounding the house in the garden and drawing the garden back into the house. The building invites the adjacent park into the garden, borrowing natural vistas and extending the backyard, whilst embracing its wider contextual surroundings. Urban food production, green roofs and integrated planters create additional intimate connections with nature.

Natural materials predominate, slate, timber - inside and out, brick - old and new, and different natural stone treatments complement the biophilic nature by creating texture, inspiring continuous engagement with delightful architectural spaces. Courtyards play a key role in this; allowing direct north sun deeper into the house and also promoting excellent natural ventilation. Seamlessly integrated technology such as a large solar PV array forms part of the architecture, and the integrated external shading coupled with correct orientation adds to the energy efficiency strategy.

In summary, nature, craftsmanship and environmental sustainability are fundamental to the success of this design. The strong vernacular form upstairs, created by traditional slate cladding, ties the house well into the streetscape.

Relationships
The design brief was about creating connections, while delivering healthy and sustainable living, and good flow of spaces. All rooms bar one have north-facing aspect. Each GF space connects with its outdoor ‘buddy’, blurring boundaries between inside and out - e.g. the playroom opens towards a ‘play yard’, etc. Upstairs, the master bedroom allows ‘living in the treetops’ and extends to an external private green roof, overlooking the adjacent park. A built-in bunk bed and secret connection ‘door’ between the kids’ rooms add a level of playfulness and delight.

Context
Biophilia.SlateHouse, Northcote, is a home that sits comfortably in the suburban streetscape and draws inspiration from its context, while forming a beacon for the future. Initial streetscape studies led to the strong vernacular roof form: standing out without dominating the street. At the back, the house form fragments, inviting and embracing the parklands, and mediating its built form towards this park and its neighbours left and right.

Design Impact
The house inspires, relaxes and calms with its beautifully crafted spaces, natural materials and endless dialogue with nature. Biophilic design, a deep connection with nature such as implemented here, has been shown to benefit occupants’ health and well-being, including stress-reduction, and improving cognitive function.

Each space offers intimate views and engagement with natural surroundings and vegetation, be it from courtyards, gardens, green roofs, or planters. Natural light, ventilation and direct sunlight give a profound sense of diurnal and seasonal rhythms. Borrowed views of gum trees from the adjacent park give the feeling of being immersed in nature, blurring the reality of the suburban setting.

Sustainability
Holistic sustainability concept integrated seamlessly into the design, e.g.
1. Green roof and planters enhance biodiversity, mitigate urban heat island affect, reduce stormwater runoff
2. Biophilia–a deep connection with nature benefits occupants’ health and well-being.
3. Re-used materials, natural materials, low-VOC materials reduce embodied energies/create a healthy living environment
4. Passive solar design–High insulation levels with vapour control/airtightness membrane, thermal mass, active+
passive shading, high performance windows (thermally broken and double glazed), courtyards for ventilation and
deep solar access, etc
5. Integrated active systems like the large solar PV array forms an integral part of the overall design
6. Home automation assists a sustainable lifestyle, eg. alarm is raised when switching on AC while window is open, etc.
7. Innovative Heating/Cooling strategy via solar PV and heat pump technology maximises free solar energy, designed to be Net Zero. The house was designed to maximise passive solar heating, while cooling is provided when ample energy is generated up on the roof. Excess energy then cools the slab, effectively turning the slab into a battery for renewable energy storage.

Slate House captures family life in full colour.

Home to a family of five (and their miniature Schnauzer, Otto), this design project began as a blank canvas, offering up the opportunity for us to define its interior language entirely.

With a robust material palette at play (think American Oak panelling, polished concrete and marble benches), it was essential that emotion informed styling details big and small.

Sourced locally where possible, timber was used throughout the space to evoke an abundance of warmth (a cool contrast against the dark polished floors). At the same time, an eclectic medley of colours and textures served up surprises in every room. Bouclé fabrics, felt-folded cushions, hand-woven rugs and more; each thoughtful layer pays homage to our design principles and the power of tactility.