Watson Architects - design sustain conserve

This house was designed as a response to a 400 square metre “small lot” with Council character code requirements and a series of constraints including a north-south axis, 3 metre slope from north to south from the road level, flood immunity requirements, an 8.5 metre height limit, reactive clay foundations and a low budget.

The desire was to create a family house that afforded privacy from its neighbours however provided a sense of space both internally and externally and to provide a best possible passive response to the climate, negating the need for air-conditioning.  Rather than imitating a pre-world war two character house, the intent was to design using the principles, forms and materials of the earlier “timber and tin” houses in a contemporary building. 

The result was a multi-levelled building with usable and private front and rear yards with a series of decks for use through the year.  Large window areas and opening skylights were included to provide additional light and ventilation to the core of the house and to increase a sense of space.  Each bedroom achieves cross ventilation with windows in at least two walls without directly viewing adjoining properties.  Each bedroom also enjoys a private balcony and landscaped view.

It is a small house yet feels spacious and open with views to external greenery from all areas of the house.  It contains two-car tandem accommodation, four bedrooms, living and dining area, a family area, a combined bathroom/laundry and a walk-in-robe and ensuite for the master bedroom.

Like all houses, it allows for experimentation and continues to evolve and be refined, with proposed alterations to improve external cladding and thermal insulation, grey water and rain harvesting and more efficient energy use.