Designed by Loke Architects, Cedar House is an addition to a weatherboard Edwardian which embraces the sun and outdoors.
The owners and their children had outgrown their home and an existing 1980s addition had become dated and dysfunctional. To correct these issues while making the most of the long, unusually-shaped block with dual street access, Loke Architects removed the existing extension and created a two-storey addition opening onto a pool and outdoor space.
Bedrooms, a separate lounge and a renovated bathroom are housed in the original home, while a new kitchen, pantry and living area are tucked under the original roofline. A new dining area, laundry and powder room unfurl off the original home, wrapping around the pool and deck and connecting the home to a rear garage to realise the benefits of the dual-access site.
As you enter the home, you glimpse the new open space and outdoor areas at the rear, drawing you through to a dramatic, full-length skylight which marks the connection between old and new. The skylight brings natural light into the centre of this important family space while simultaneously honouring the roofline of the original home.
The addition favours the southern boundary to leave as much space as possible for north-facing living spaces and the outdoor area, but a sliver of garden is retained to ensure the neighbour solar access. The gable-roofed addition also minimises overshadowing to the southern neighbour.
This garden to the south helps the dining area feel like it’s surrounded by greenery. Openable windows are designed to draw cool breezes through the house, while their lowered head height focuses your eye on the greenery and protects the owners’ privacy from the neighbours.
Just like the work triangle in a kitchen, a triangular relationship between the kitchen, dining, and outdoor area helps to create an indoor-outdoor lifestyle for the owners. Large glass sliding doors allow opens the dining area seamlessly onto the deck, while a servery window and breakfast bar connect the kitchen to the outdoors. Even the laundry enjoys a view over the pool and outdoor space, making those must-do domestic duties less of a chore.
The works was conceived as a finely-crafted cedar box with the upper level floating above the open-plan living spaces below. The cedar wraps around the upper level, becoming the soffit and ceiling of the dining area below. The upper level also overhangs the lower level to the north to provide sun protection and create a covered outdoor space. In fact, when the sliding doors are open, the whole dining area feels like a covered outdoor space, blurring the boundary between inside and out.
The upper level is the children’s domain. With two bedrooms, a bathroom and a retreat space with kitchenette, this dedicated space will afford the kids some privacy and offer them their own living zone as they become young adults.
The project includes photovoltaic cells to generate its own energy and solar heating for the pool. With great solar orientation to make the most of the sun and breezes, combined with double-glazing and plenty of insulation the home stays naturally warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Underground water tanks are located under the deck which collects rainwater for reuse in the garden and to top up the swimming pool.
Photo Team
Architecture
Loke Architects
Loke are Melbourne-based architects specialising in designing new homes and renovations as well as boutique retail and commercial work.
Swimming Pool
Compass Pools
Compass Pools have been helping families across Australia and New Zealand to transform their backyards since the summer of 1980. What started as a small family business has grown into one of Australia’s most recognised and respected pool brands.
Soft Landscaping
Caroline Hyett Gardens and Design
Based in Melbourne’s inner west, Caroline Hyett Gardens and Design creates timeless beautiful gardens which are lived in, loved and nurtured. Driven by a close collaboration between client and designer, each garden is a bespoke response to its setting. Caroline Hyett’s designs are created by carefully observing the landscape, architecture, and listening to how each client wishes to interact with their environment.
www.carolinehyettgardensdesign.com.au
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 © 2020 Loke Architects. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2020 Tatjana Plitt. All Rights Reserved.
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