Hovering House is a transformation of an unassuming, period home in Fairfield, where the modern extension is perched upon glass walls to give the impression that it is peacefully floating.
It will only take you ten minutes to reach from the city centre, but Fairfield is a suburb that brings the best elements of regional Victoria to Melbourne for locals and visitors to enjoy.
Quiet shopping strips filled with friendly locals, plenty of natural bushland to explore and a quintessential 19th century pub go hand in hand.
It’s one of those places that – whether you’re a first-time visitor or you’ve lived here for decades – you can never get tired of.
The extension, designed by C.Kairouz Architects, expands the house to accommodate large, open-plan spaces for a growing family.
Hovering House is a name inspired by the modern extension, perched upon glass walls to give the impression that it is peacefully floating.
Set to be modern and practical for a young family, the original period home at the front of the site was fully restored, with the large extension at the back to allow for multiple, larger spaces including open-plan kitchen and living area and multiple bedrooms upstairs.
Part of the restoration of the original home meant adding a significant amount of skylighting to bring some much needed natural light to the traditional architecture.
This skylighting continues as a feature of the bathrooms, giving the illusion of infinite height above the shower, as the light is refracted between beveled subway tiles.
The open-plan living takes full advantage of the western sun, with large windows expanding the entire height and width allowing indoor-outdoor transition appear seamless, giving the illusion that the extension on the second level is hovering on its own.
Dressed in black uniform cladding, the hovering extension acts as a kids retreat and second living room, granting unhindered views of the leafy suburban skyline.
Project Details
Project Size – 413 m2
Site Area – 625 m2
Completion Date – 2017
Building Levels – 2
Project Team
Architecture
C.Kairouz Architects
Melbourne-based C. Kairouz Architects believe in innovation and smart, high-quality architecture that makes sense – in both design and budget.
They understand architects have a social responsibility.
Their focus is on people, to create value-adding, sustainable solutions for their clients, residents, suburbs and cities alike.
Photography
Tatjana Plitt
Tatjana is an award-winning artist and architecture/interiors photographer based in Melbourne.
She completed her Bachelor of Media Arts at RMIT University and has exhibited her work throughout Australia and internationally.
Inspired by the power of architecture to shape how we feel, think and behave, Tatjana creates images that capture the mood and emotion of spaces.
Photo Gallery
Click on a thumbnail image to enlarge.
Design © 2021 C.Kairouz Architects. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2021 Tatjana Plitt. All Rights Reserved.
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