Nestled in between a public golf course to its rear and one of Gordon’s busiest residential streets at its frontage, Gordon Residence is an exercise in converting an old forgotten suburban house, disjointed from it’s context into a fresh, open plan and light filled home that merges into its landscape.
Gordon Residence is an exercise in adding minimal structural change yet gaining maximum spatial outcome in an existing house. The original house was detached - a pitched tile roof, solid rectangular body with a narrow unused second floor balcony. It was misplaced, out of sync with the environmental context and did not utilise the site to its best advantages. Founded on the idea of making the house a discreet viewing platform to the golf course upon which it overlooks without compromising the home’s privacy within. The new design extends the family home into its surrounding. This project is a lighter and more spacious rendition of its former self. Existing features of the home such as the modern split-level design were retained as homage to the original design.
What was the brief?
Large extended family, entertaining space and the accessibility to the kitchen as the core of the home were pertinent to the brief.
Our approach was to open the Northern side and expand the kitchen, creating a seamless relationship to the outdoors. Large slide away glazing panels transform a family home to a large venue for family and friends.
Their growing family required more space and versatile space. The enclosure of the top balcony allowed for the bedrooms and bathrooms to expand, making room for a playroom, study and rumpus area. Also a grander master with ensuite and walk-in.
What were the key challenges?
The budget presented itself as a challenge throughout the project mainly during the final stages of the build.
What were the solutions?
Although the original builder’s estimation was below the final finish cost, the resultant project was finished at a level that exceeded the original brief. With malleability of certain less pertinent design factors or more thoughtful selection of material, the home was finished in a way that would be more sustainable, requiring less energy to run, easier to maintain with no need for future renovation anytime soon.
Thus, the extra spend resulted in meeting a much-expanded brief.
