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Hinterland House

Location

Federal, NSW

Size

150 square metres

Status

Concept Design

The design for this home extension in the hinterland of Byron Bay draws on its bush and village setting. The project combines elements of traditional construction, such as exposed timber structures and timber siding, with clean lines to create a contemporary house suited to its village setting.

The extension needed to address the problem of a confused entry point in the existing house. To resolve this, the strategy drew on a 'village' concept to establish rules about order, building scales and movement past buildings to allow visitors to be clearly led to the front door. The new buildings and existing pool deck are arranged to enclose spaces that inform a logical path up to the main entry. The new extension, garage and existing pool are set at specific heights to guide this progression, while a variety of scales between elements create an atmosphere of invitation. The porch and entry appear modest, however allow glimpses to the light-filled and open living spaces within. The front door is to the side, and the window (facing the street) create the sense that visitors and passers-by could walk directly into the house. As visitors enter the house, the modest scale of the porch expands to the large volume of the main living area. The raked roof in the main living room tilts up to the Northern sun, while skylights illuminate the kitchen and dining spaces. This creates a variety of light qualities under the main roof, to create dynamic spaces of changing light quality and interest in the same volume.

The existing house lacked a clear ‘front door’, causing confusion about where to enter the house and property. The proposed extension establishes a clear entry point using an arrangement of building forms, terraced path and front porch to draw visitors to the front door

A number of roof systems were tested to find a solution that would optimise solar passive design in the house, and maximise the quality of light and spaces in the new living areas

Project Team

Imran Radin