Design Brief
Situated very close to the lapping waves of The Swan River, the sights and sounds of the environment were to be the main source of inspiration for the design of this waterside home in Bicton.
The DTDA Design Team wanted to bottle the atmosphere for their clients, an expat couple returning to Perth after five years of living in Hong Kong. The clients were eager for a home that felt spacious and open, easy-care and clean.
With the couple's two adult sons living in Melbourne, the home needed to cater for at least two guest bedrooms, however the main focus was on the Master Bedroom suite for their own use.
It was desirable for the Suite to be self-contained with a bathroom and tea-making facility. Other than those requests, the design brief was kept very open, with the clients preferring to await the designer’s proposal for the design.
Design Solution
According to the DTDA Design Team, the limestone sloping corner block site was relatively simple to excavate, and the lower floor was designed to integrate into the ground.
A 3-car garage and two guest bedrooms are tucked behind rammed earth walls with deep-set windows looking out to the water.
The main entrance is up an external flight of steps to a courtyard over the top of the garage. The slab was designed to hold two large planters with mature Frangipanis, and a pond.
The courtyard forms the heart of the house, with the living areas wrapping around it. A large kitchen and dining room run to the east side, and enjoy views out to the lap pool, as well as through and around the courtyard and glassy pavilion that holds the living room and study.
Glass louvres allow for cross-ventilation and allow the central courtyard to provide a cooling micro-climate.
The space was designed to truly experience the outdoors, with stacker doors behind a steel balustrade opening to the courtyard and a balcony along the river side of the room.
Special attention has been given to the use of screening and shading to obtain the desired views of the river, while controlling the western sun and privacy from the adjacent streets.
Automatic Vental blinds run along the west and north sides of both wings and are retractable to provide unhindered views, while a fixed screen of aluminium battens screens the eastern facade from the morning sun.
A central staircase between the two wings links all three levels, with the upper level containing the master bedroom Suite. This area was designed as a self-contained hotel-style suite including a concealed tea preparation area and relaxing bathroom with freestanding stone clad bath.
A palate of natural stone, timber, white plaster and grey polished dado render combined with a use of oversized bronze aluminium battens for both internal and external screens, helping to break down the concepts of 'inside' and 'outside'.
With the cabinetry forming as much a part of the planning as the walls, and the concealment of doors where possible, a feeling of a barrier free space has been created.
The result is a clean, easy care and spacious residence, which DTDA Design Team hopes will allow its owners to feel at home in Perth after many years away.
Consultants & Contractors
Building designer - Don Taylor, DTDA Design Team
Photography – d-max photography
This article was written with the assistance of Building Designers Australia.
