Seeing the light

Small, awkwardly shaped sites, bounded by buildings, are a typical feature of the inner suburbs of many large cities. For architects and designers, challenges include restrictions on exterior appearance, house size and the amount of natural light that can be captured.

Architectural practice Burns and Beyerl was approached by the owners of this site to build their new home. Architects Steven Burns and Mike Ryan worked with the owners to create a home that has a transitional exterior with a strong, architectural design.

This site is 125ft long and only 24ft wide. A garage on the adjoining boundary provides extra separation between the houses. To achieve the desired floor area, the team designed a three-level house by working within council zoning codes. This meant creating a basement more than 50% below ground level, but with enough windows and ventilation to meet council rules for habitable space.

The front facade of the house is a combination of black and gray masonry bricks, with black aluminum window joinery and railings. To add interest to this face, a balcony, opening off the master bedroom on the top level of the house, is cantilevered to create a covered front entrance.

"These structural details add depth to the exterior appearance," Ryan says.

Inside, the owners say they wanted to maximize the light and air, and have large, light-filled, open rooms.

"We also wanted a generous stair that didn't encroach on our living space, often the case with homes on narrow lots. For this reason the staircase was located half way along the length of the house" he says.

To bring in the light, Ryan designed a series of translucent plastic panels on one side wall. The ribbed panels, which form the exterior wall of the stairwell, span all three levels of the house, starting just above the foundations and rising like a central tower to finish above the roof line.

"As well as introducing large quantities of light through the open stairwell into the center of the house, the panels also influence the quality and character of the light, and create reflections during the day and at night," says Ryan.

Inside, a system of narrow shelves, built in a grid pattern, forms an open wall between stairs and corridors on each level.

"This grid of shelves is really the spine of the house. It connects all three levels visually and co-ordinates the layout right through the house," says the architect.

"Originally, the shelving was designed for the owners' art. But, once they moved in, they preferred the shelves kept clear."

The grid pattern is found throughout the living level of the house for example, in recesses for ceiling-mounted light fixtures and in the layout of floor tiles.

To maximize the natural light coming in through the translucent panels another example of the grid the main level of the house is open plan. All that separates the front living spaces from the central kitchen and den at the rear are hall closets, a powder room and a kitchen pantry.

To visually separate the hall and living area, 16-inch tiles form a path from the front to the back door. The grid wall of the stair is part of the band, creating a datum line through the house.

Another subtle detail connecting the living spaces is a reveal line framing the walls. The baseboard is recessed into the wall, forming two negative lines one six inches above the floors and the other, six inches below the ceiling. Tall windows at the front and back of the house are also contained within this framework.

In the top floor master bedroom a grid of birch paneling wraps behind the bed and round the room, helping unify it.

Story by: Trendsideas