1. What was the client brief? Were there any key features they did or didn’t want to include?
The key brief for Little More House was to create a home that felt like the clients were on holiday every day. The clients had visited some of the country’s best short stay accommodations as part of the research for this project and loved the way their family felt living in these spaces. They wanted a sustainable house that was modest in size but versatile so the rooms could be adapted to the occasion at hand.
2. What was your vision for the project design? Were there any inspirations or references that influenced your design? As both an individual and an Architect, my affinity for the outdoors profoundly influences my work. The Australian vernacular landscape serves as a key source of inspiration, and I am drawn to simple forms and materials of high country huts and old shearing sheds. These elements seamlessly integrate with the Australian context, creating a sense of familiarity and belonging. For this project we utilised basic forms arranged to create contemporary spaces that are oriented to frame the outlook and maximise passive heating and cooling. It is where the basic forms intersect that precise architectural detailing is required to achieve a refined outcome. The material pallet of rough sawn timber, Colourbond and concrete also pays homage to rural Australia. This blend of form and materials change with the differing light throughout the day, creating a feeling of connection with the weather and the outdoors, and creating the sense of calm intrinsic to the Client brief.
3. Tell us about the layout, how have you designed it for the site and why? The Architectural response for this house was to create a modest-sized dwelling that is beautiful for everyday life, and is ultra-versatile with the ability to change to suit different family situations, times of year and social occasions. This is a home where the Westle family can be close together when suits but can also achieve separation when required.
The house is broken up into 4 segmented forms that each serve multiple uses, connected via an indoor-outdoor backbone. The spaces between the forms allow for versatile outdoor spaces that are oriented to bring in natural light and maximise outlook of the natural landscape. The forms house the following uses:
A. Garage with study mezzanine that can double as guest bedroom Key attributes: Private, separate. B. Kids bedrooms, living, bathroom Key attributes: Doors at either side of living allow it to be separated either way to function as part of the kids’ bedrooms or to add additional entertaining space or retreat for the parents. C. Kitchen, dining, laundry Key attributes: To feel like a part of the living or separate. Can be closed off or opened up to the courtyard, the backyard or both depending on the occasion, time of day, weather conditions or wind direction. D. Master bedroom with ensuite that doubles as guest bathroom Key attributes: Private, brings outside in.
As the site gently elevates towards the rear, we pushed the garage down and stepped the entry up to allow for a single level for the entire living portion of the house. The entry was positioned between the two front gable forms and continuously clad in the rough sawn reclaimed timber, blurring the lines between when the inside starts and outside ends. The full width front door further distorts inside from outside, and upon entering, you are immediately drawn to the large glass door that bring you back outside under the veranda. This can take you directly to the pavilion style kitchen and dining but allows separation when needed.
The concrete green roof forms the shelter for the pavilion style kitchen and dining areas. The three stacker sliding doors on each side can be opened to the internal courtyard and the external garden creating a further play on inside and outside, while borrowing space from both also creates the impression of a much larger house than its modest 200m2 footprint.
4. What are your favourite parts of the finished project, or what are you most proud of? I’m proud of the beautiful feel of the house most of all. Watching the Westle family inhabit the space and seeing the spaces function as the brief intended feels like a real win- we have achieved a huge amount on a standard 600m2 residential block. I’m also really happy with the team who contributed to this project’s completion. Going from purchasing the property to completed construction within 18 months is a real testament to the hard work of everyone involved and shows what can be achieved for a modest budget when the clients and project team have a shared vision. Im also so impressed with Lorecos understanding of the project vision and ability to exceed my expectations with the final product.
Sustainability
In considering sustainability, the most impactful step a client can take is to consider a more modest-sized home. Achieving true sustainability becomes challenging for larger houses. It's essential to recognize that the size of our homes significantly influences their ecological footprint. Even with great passive design and investing in post construction technologies like solar panels, it's crucial to acknowledge that the embodied energy in the construction materials of larger homes poses a significant challenge to achieving genuine sustainability.