Architecture


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New Residence, Sydney

Architecture

Interactive floor plan #15

by Stephen Crafti 

One of the owners of this house grew up in Lebanon. As a young boy, he recalls the large communal space where the family congregated. Now living in Bellevue Hill, a leafy suburb of Sydney, the brief to MCK Architects included recreating this sense of his past.

Photo Portrait
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Constructed in brick, concrete and timber, the two-storey, multi-level house centres on an open plan kitchen and living areas. Featuring five metre-high ceilings and overlooking a swimming pool, there’s a distinct Mediterranean sensibility to MCK Architects’ design.

'Our clients wanted something quite simple and modest. They also wanted a strong connection to the outdoors, having three young boys,' says architect Mark Cashman, a co-director of the practice.

Part of the brief also involved designing a detached bedroom for an overseas member of the family or guests. 'Originally, we were going to stain the fibro-cement sheeting (enclosing the guest bedroom and ensuite) brown. But our clients came to us with books on Louis Barragan (the late Mexican Architect). They loved his use of bright colours,' says Cashman. So they settled on pink.

The jewel-like pink box creates a contrast with the materials in the home’s façade. Glazed bricks, together with a fixed timber screen provide a more discrete combination. 'We didn’t want the house to scream for attention from the street, which is predominantly lined with modest Bungalow-style homes from the 1930s,' says Cashman.

The interior is equally understated. Polished concrete floors in the kitchen and living areas compliment stained timber plywood ceilings. To minimize the palette of materials, MCK included an off-formed concrete fireplace, together with a concrete kitchen bench, poured insitu. 'We’ve used rough-sawn timber planks against the fireplace to create texture,' says Cashman.

While the house is two-storey, it is relatively modest in size, approximately 280 square metres. At ground level, at the front of the house, are the main bedroom and ensuite, together with a separate guest’s bedroom. The three children’s bedrooms are located to the rear of the house, a half-level above the living areas.

The separation of living spaces continues on the first floor, with a study located above the main bedroom. The children’s play area/television room is also conveniently located at the rear, above their bedrooms. And like the owner’s childhood house in Lebanon, the family comes together to share meals and enjoy each other’s company, at the heart of the house.

6 November 2008 | Architecture