Sense of place

Designed for a deaf family, this renovation emphasises vision and touch as the primary means of spatial awareness and orientation

House of angles – materials on the renovation

Dusk and the home's lighting accentuates features such

The fold-over nature of the architecture gives the

The upper floor deck with wood underfoot and

A sculptural stair inside and cantilevered concrete benches

A common space in the expansive reinvented home.

Frosted glass balustrades on the feature stair give

Elevating and shifting parts of the structure are

Designed by Terry & Terry Architecture

From the architects:

The dwelling is designed for a young deaf family, who desired an expanded open plan that incorporates Deaf-Space – creating ample transparency throughout the home, where vision and touch are a primary means of spatial awareness and orientation.

The project consists of transforming a 1950s existing Joseph Eichler home.

Using a similar material palette, the design utilises the primary floor plan and transforms the existing space by folding out the horizontal and vertical planes of the first storey to form the second storey.

The new roof form creates a large central area and houses a second-floor bedroom wing. Elevated and shifed parts of the structure are used to support the second storey and stairways.

The main living zone is situated on the ground floor and offers expansive living spaces that extend into the landscape.

Two existing bedrooms and office areas are reconfigured to become more transparent to the gardens. The second floor accommodates an extended family with two bedrooms, bathrooms, and sleeping porches.

Photovoltaic panels, solar water heating, and rain catchment systems are used to offset energy and water loads. Large overhangs provide sufficient shade during the warm months.