Working in quite demanding industries, Taylor Knights’ clients, a creative couple with a teenager, tasked them with creating a calm and comfortable space to retreat to within their Californian Bungalow in Brunswick West.
Brunswick West is an inner suburb of Melbourne, Australia, located 6 km north of the Central Business District.
Taylor Knights set out to create a considered, flexible space that would adapt alongside the family.
But often, the nature of heritage homes like this one can call for fiddly solutions when contemplating alterations, especially when negotiating the traditional corridor and room arrangements.
So architects Taylor Knights’ design strategy avoided a significant reconfiguration of the existing spaces.
Instead, they repurposed the generous ivy-lined side access to create a lush and unassuming new entry-point at the centre of the home.
The dwelling now operates in two parts of a whole: the original structure housing bedrooms, with a new addition forming the social heart of the home.
The new primary living spaces are arranged in and around three sculptural masonry walls, creating nooks and intricate zones within the open plan — intimate spaces to sit and share with family, or to retreat within at other times.
An essential part of the brief from Taylor Knights’ client was to craft a space that would accommodate their diverse collection of artwork and literature whilst delivering a truthful reflection of their eclectic and playful sensibility.
With the family-favourite, much-loved Kadinsky Upward (Empor) print a planned centrepiece, Taylor Knights were able to draw upon the artwork’s geometric and tonal elements to reference the interior palette within the pavilion.
The result is the stunning interplay between the white walls and light-reflecting timber-lined black ceiling, and perhaps most noticeably, the striking sage green concrete floor flecked with dark local bluestone.
The key sustainability driver in this project was to produce a highly efficient, low-volume addition that ‘did a lot with very little’. Simple moves were also made to re-orientate living spaces towards the north, and by introducing eaves to block the sun in summer and allow light into the space in winter.
The space can also be naturally ventilated, with large openings along the northern façade and high-level openings to the south of the new pavilion space.
The unique floor treatment, which is essentially a topping screed, also enabled Taylor Knights to include a two-pour concrete slab method, allowing insulation to be inserted between the two slabs, thereby making the space highly thermally efficient. Energy efficient glazing and sustainable timber selections were also used throughout the project.
Project Details
Project size – 50 m2
Site area – 346 m2
Completion date – 2018
Building levels – 1
Project Team
Architecture and Interior Design
Taylor Knights
Taylor Knights are Melbourne-based architects and interior designers specialising in highly refined and sensitive residential and commercial design. Their projects span metropolitan and rural Victoria.
Structural and Civil Engineering
Robin Bliem and Associates
R. Bliem & Associates Pty Ltd has been providing professional and quality structural and civil engineering services for more than 17 years Australia wide.
Building Surveyor
Fotia Group
Fotia Group Building Surveyors is a Melbourne-based building surveying firm founded in 2012 by Stephen Fotia. Stephen has more than 15 years of experience in the building surveying and construction industry.
Builder
Cannon Built
Photography
Tom Blachford
Based in Melbourne, Australia Tom Blachford specialises in Interiors, Architecture, Aerial, and Fine Art photography.
Working with many of Australia’s most prominent and creative architects and designers, Tom prides himself on translating space, texture and design intent into strong sets of images.
His graphic approach and cinematic aesthetic also been utilised by brands and agencies seeking evocative images to elevate their campaigns with the use of his signature style. His advertising clients and collaborations include Asahi Beer, Nomad Hotels, Deakin University, MTV and Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Tom has worked for architectural and design clients including DKO, Techne Architects, FIGR, Elenberg Fraser, Wood Marsh, Jackson Clement & Burrows, GOLDEN, Ritz and Ghougassian, IF architecture, Foolscap, and Studio Esteta.
Photo Gallery
Click on a thumbnail image to enlarge.
Design © 2020 Taylor Knights. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2020 Tom Blachford. All Rights Reserved.
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