Design Brief
The brief was for Gerard Smith of Mojo Designs to create a contemporary minimalistic and low-maintenance home with simple lines.
It was requested that open plan living was to be incorporated into the home, with a scullery also being a pre-requisite.
In addition to the open plan design, two bedrooms, an office/third bedroom, large laundry, music/games room, a retreat, a two-car garage with store and a swimming pool were also requested. The clients also desired an outdoor area, surrounded with low maintenance gardens and a built-in barbeque.
A very modest budget for the requested design brief with the level of finish requested proved a challenge and required the implementation of cost effective design and structural detailing.
Design Solution
The Hideaway home has been carefully designed to incorporate passive solar design principles throughout.
A circulation hall that wraps around the internal landscaped water garden has been strategically located internally within the home to enable the peripheral rooms maximum access to northern light while embracing the views of the parkland to the rear and landscaped gardens and swimming pool to the front.
The double story grand living zone is seamlessly connected to two large alfresco areas through large sliding glass doors that open completely clear of the aperture.
The Alfresco areas spill onto the scenic parkland to the rear and to the landscaped turf and swimming pool area to the front.
The colour palette throughout the house has been deliberately refrained to promote the warmth and texture of natural products such as timber and stone that have been used in the home’s detailed interior.
The planning of the home has also been conceived to maximize the amenity of both the owners’ and the neighbours’ by concealing the view of the side neighbouring properties from almost every room.
Material Considerations
Effective ventilation in the house has been achieved by incorporating ceiling fans as well as louvre and clerestory louvre windows to capture prevailing breezes.
Features to further improve indoor air quality have also been used, including low VOC paints, timber finishes and adhesives, along with reflective foil and natural wool fibre insulation batts.
A heat pump water heater, energy efficient light fittings and energy efficient appliances have been incorporated to minimise impacts of energy use.
This article was written with the assistance of Building Designers Australia.
