Vos Architecture + Design at the Bayside Building Awards.
The brief of the project was to:
- Create a light filled, modern family home which reflected the owners’ tastes.
- Produce a design that was modest and respectful to the forms of many of the 1950-1960’s houses in the area.
- Draw sunlight from the northern front of the property to the living areas at the rear.
- Design well-considered interiors.
- Connect the living areas to the rear open space.
- Create a home that would be energy efficient.
The key to this design was to create a central stair void, which allows light to penetrate into the home during the winter months. The stair area also acts as a ‘heat chimney’ to exhaust heat out through the upper windows in summer, keeping the home cooler. This central space also became the home’s circulation hub, which links all the rooms together and keeps the family connected.
The upper entry level consists of three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and two living areas. The lower level consists of a three-car garage, guest bedroom, bathroom, cellar, and a family room which connects to the alfresco and pool.
The external form consists of a modern black box set against a single sloping roof, inspired by the character of local modernist homes. The home is seen as single storey from the streetscape and appears modest in size. The rear is two storeys high, and takes in views of the rear yard, pool, and of Port Phillip Bay beyond.
Bayside City Council recognised the design quality, respect for the immediate streetscape, and the building’s contribution to the existing neighbourhood character.
