The first iteration saw the evolution of an existing 2 bedroom Arkley-esque bungalow, giving space to a rapidly growing family and mediating family life. The client's interest in a local application of the lessons from the Case Study Houses drove the conception of an ever expanding framework that grounds every day life; a structural grid from which the domestic could be conducted. Low cost materials were employed to maximise available space, via a mixture of internal and external rooms.
                In addition to freeing up another bedroom, the extension included upgraded amenities, and directed the visitor straight through the house and into the clients beautiful garden; of bull horns, wattles and other natives, apricot blossom and banana trees. The main activity of the house occurs along the boundary of the house and the garden, in a series of spaces that were able to be opened up or screened out, depending on the veracity of adjacent use.
                Family time is precious, but so is a space of one's own. Our design allowed for both to co-exist, by way of a series of moveable wall screenings. Five years later, the family were ready to expand again. By expanding the structural grid further from the house, a double height volume could be accommodated, which in turn created an extension to the original outdoor room, that could again be moderated through the use of moveable furniture and wall screenings.
                The scale of the double height volume gave legibility to the back garden, a sense of house framing so it also become interior-ised though at a larger scale. A second outdoor room expanded along the side of the house, providing security from the street, an armature for basketball, secure bike parking, and a potting shed.   The new volume, now expanding vertically presents the clients with a range of options, both spatially and functionally; indoor/outdoor artist studio, garden party cabana, parents retreat, teen band practice, short term stays, and in the longer term accessed from a separate entrance down the side of the house. As the family likely deflates in the coming years, this flexibility will allow James and Nadine a range of great options.
                Resilience For this project the value lies primarily in cost effectiveness. Within this value framework, we worked hard to address a holistic 'bottom line'. The house sits on the edge of a flood zone and to minimise potential risk as rains become increasingly heavy and urban areas more prone to flooding, the ground floor is designed to withstand flooding with a reusable fibre cement sheeting lining the walls, to the top edge of which is finished by a strip that doubles as a dropped picture frame and hard surface flooring - concrete due to proximity of trees and panellised insulation.
                Flexibility Within the space, lighting can be re configured in innumerable combinations through the exposed trusses. An expressive 'wibble wobble' trellis has been designed to moderate summer heat, by way of training deciduous vines such as grape, kiwi fruit, wisteria and native clematis to climb along its forms.
                Affordability With its focus on affordable materials, this project successfully maximises space for the occupant to inhabit, moderating climate concerns and optimising outdoor living opportunities.
* A heliostat (from Ancient Greek ἥλιος (hḗlios) 'sun' and στατός (statós) 'standing') is a device that reflects sunlight toward a target. The reflector is usually a plane mirror.