The ‘house for art collectors’ is a new residence to house art and books, the two great passions of it’s occupants and the basis of the architectural brief.
Requirements were simple; a place to live and work, to display their art collection and to store their library. The house had to be spacious with a central void space and to be modernist in style, both owners being passionate collectors and lovers of modern and contemporary art and architecture.
The project is linear in form and is a terrace house type due to the nature of the site. There is three levels, a entry/living/entertaining/working mid level, a sleeping level with guest's rooms above and a garage/utilities level below. A central outdoor area provides external private living space with lap pool and garden.
Upon entering one moves through a narrow lobby into the double height void with 7m ceiling over the main lounge area. This extends into the open plan dining and kitchen and on into the courtyard.
Separate studio's are located at each end of the house with the occupants meeting in the middle to cook, dine ,and lounge. The studio to the eastern end of the house is contained within the library walls that attempts to create the illusion of a structural wall of books.
Relationship to site and context
The project is part of a new subdivision and redevelopment of a corner site and ex art gallery in an urban part of Sydney. The subdivision created a row of terrace house type allotments. Our client purchased one of the middle lots and although it is freestanding it is sandwiched between two other houses of similar scale and size.
The site falls 3.5m from street to rear lane allowing a basement level garage and storage area to the rear. This created internal and external living spaces at a higher level with better access to sunlight. The site is orientated east west with a central courtyard provided to maximise the northern sun to the centre of the living areas.
Local views are possible at the upper level and can be enjoyed from a balcony off the main bedroom. The lower courtyard areas are open to the daylight and sky, but provide private outdoor living spaces. A large tree has been planted in the courtyard to provide both visual privacy to a neighbouring apartment block and shading in summer.
The surrounding context is predominantly residential with a mixture of house types and styles ranging from historic to contemporary. The local terrace houses have the standard formal face to the street and collection of additions to the rear.
Material Used :
1. Dulux – Paint
2. Artedomus - Tiles
3. Steel Windows Australia – Steel Windows
4. VM Zinc – Zinc Cladding
5. Boral - Concrete
6. Vola – Tapware
7. Style Finish – Door Hardware
8. Erco – Lighting
