Dunedin Street Residence Australia : Architecture

Dunedin Street Residence, Perth, Western Australia Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects Project Description Situated on a small edge of city site this project explores the context of the specific house and neighbouring suburbia whilst responding to the requirements of a growing family. It is a relatively small extension with new parts manipulating and exaggerating existing qualities creating an appropriate and sympathetic dialogue between old and new whilst exploiting every part of the site. photo © Shannon McGrath Relationship of the building to the site This projects continues Iredale Pedersen Hooks exploration in to dualities or the Jekyll and Hyde possibilities of the domestic residence. In this project we maintain the street façade and save the strange qualities for the back garden. However this is a more subdued Jekyll and Hyde with the rear garden facade clearly derived from aspects of the street façade (and qualities of the interior). The design exploits the length of the site creating an axis off the entry extending the entire length. This axis is intersected, folded and punctured strategically revealing fragments of other spaces. Architectural Expression of the concept. The very first visit revealed qualities of the existing house that were fundamental to the development and idea/s of the design. The ceiling in each space was decorated to varying degrees revealing the importance of the space relative to each other, the lounge, entry and main bedroom were clearly regarded as the most important spaces. The new space/s continues this elaboration of the ceiling but transforms this in to a spatial event (rather than a primarily decorative event) literally unfolding to allow north sun and poetically to the garden (the client wanted a strong relationship to the rear garden). We referred to this device as the 'sleeve' and it does exactly this. The roof form of the original house is maintained but changed to an internal experience, the tiles replaces with plasterboard. 'Sleeving' is an approach that harmonises the transition from old and new allowing modern and older architectures to co-exist. We have seen this approach in the work of Carlo Scarpa, Enric Miralles and Carme Pinos and on the local front Michael Patroni. The client also requested a strong relationship between old and new. In this project we also recycled existing doors creating an additional distortion of new and old. photos © Shannon McGrath Cost Effectiveness. The entire works cost less than $265,000AUD, this represents extremely good value for money and was achieved by re-cycling bricks, timber and doors from the original house and being specific about where to focus the more elaborate works (as per the original house with the hierarchy of ceilings). As in all of our works; extraordinary qualities are achieved with ordinary means and by working very closely with the builder and trades rather than taking the attitude of the architect as ultimate authority. Environmental/ energy performance This house addresses the issue of the imperfect east/west orientation with living spaces on the south side by splitting the roof to allow winter sun penetration in to the living and kitchen spaces. The west sun is filtered by an 80% block-out fabric that extends across the entire west façade separated from the living space glass by 3.5metres. This is also fronted with clear polycarbonate that reduces wind and rain penetration. The top is left open for hot air to escape. Other items: -Additional roof insulation was installed. -Walls painted white to reflect light. -Tinted glass to large areas -Re-cycling of materials, 90% of removed materials were re-used in the new construction (bricks, timber). -Re-cycled jarrah floor boards -Recycled jarrah timber for windows and doors -Selection of materials based on embodied energy and long term durability. -Maintaining as much as possible of the existing house and 'sleeving to this'. -Two windows to each room for cross ventilation -Highlight windows to north for privacy and winter sun penetration Organisation of spaces and functions inside and outside. This project developed over a relatively long period with the client spending considerable time reviewing the design and drawings. Early drawings were scaled free hand with water colour perspective sketches and models. As the project developed we prepared a 3-d model to study the interiors. The client prepared a detail brief at the beginning of the project, this was monitored and developed as the project continued. Structure, construction, materials and services Economy, durability, environmental impact and appropriateness combined with architectural intent (delight). Dunedin Street Residence Western Australia images / information from Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects