The Szychowski residence brings a new language to its landscape. The creation of space is captured inside a concave northern façade that allows deep sun penetration into the residence. The roof rises from the south west to the north east connecting the earth to the sky spatially.
The public programme inside the residence is designed as one boundless space that cascades with the landscape. Spaces are separated by level change and floating building elements that include a decorative masonry wall, a two way fireplace, stairs and balustrades that weave through a double height space.
Upon enter into residence, the connection to landscape and light is maintained through a sequence of windows along the curving northern facade, the experience being amplified by a sweeping two directional ceiling which connects public spaces to the external environment.
BRIEF
The Szychowski residence responded to the owners brief through an architectural expression that respects and compliments the vast landscape it is placed in. The owner’s intent was to create a luxurious retreat in a rural setting, drenched in natural light and stunning views. We have expressed this with an architecture unencumbered by a style or a fad. Instead the Szychowski residence, connects to the landscape and weathers with its surrounds.
DESIGN DESCRIPTION
A solid crystalline form, fused to the ground and reaching for the sun in a vast countryside landscape; the Szychowski residence.
Inspired by the owners love for naturally occurring elements, the building’s texture, and form are evident in their geological collection of solid aggregate.
Tilting, twisting, and emerging from the land, the residence rests between a cluster of trees and an infinite rolling landscape affording its owners commanding views beyond.
Inside its hard outer shell, is a flowing and visually textured warm interior that provides comfort and refuge from within for reflection on a seasonally vibrant landscape.
Collaboration between the architect, the structural engineer, the builder, and the steel fabricator ensured the design intent was maintained by utilising steel portal frame super structure, and domestic laminated timber rafters to achieve the large internal clear spans (8m) over a double height space, all captured under a two directional skillion roof that is clad in metal roofing falling in one direction.
Skilled trades were engaged in the detailed design of critical elements including the frameless façade, maintenance free external balustrades, internal steel stairs and balustrades, and the integration of ambient and installation lighting.
KEY DESIGN CHALLENGE
A Key Design challenge was achieving the overall intricate building form whilst utilise standard construction techniques to meet the budget. The building form is irregular with compound planes and angled facades, and in our case we had to work with the engineer, the steel fabricator and the builder to ensure that standard portal frame steel fabrication, and standard LVL timber structure were utilised to achieve the 2 directional roof plane, the 8m long and 4m wide internal space void, and the 3.5m to 7.5m high northern façade.
SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES
The residence includes solar passive design principles that include thermal mass slabs and masonry walls carefully located throughout the house, double glazing end external shading is included for thermal comfort. Water supply is via a 72k litre rain water tank, while sewerage is treated on site via an AWT septic system. Hot water is delivered using a Sanden heat pump, and a solar power installation is connected back to the grid.
The house has a breath taking spatial quality, which brings delight to its owners, and allows them to get away from the daily working grind each evening and on weekends and feel like they have arrived at a retreat. This quality extends beyond the home and into the landscape both physically and visually.
PRODUCTS
Majority of product selection was based on minimum maintenance both externally and internally. The external finishes were also selected to emphasise the aesthetic quality intended, and that is to present the building as a weathered element in the landscape with the varying textures and finishes. Internally we wanted to give the owners the feeling of luxury, and ensure that with a vast pallet of warm colours and textures we would achieve a home quality. The lighting throughout the house, inside and out, was carefully considered for a variety of functional requirements, and the ability to create different ambient qualities.
EXTERIOR WALLS
90mm Insulated Wall Cladding
Astec Armaflex Low Sheen Silicone Modified acrylic render in Dulux Monument
Alutile aluminium composite panels on a smart-fix concealed fixing system in Dark Grey Metallic
Bluescope Lysaght Longline profile in Monument
WINDOWS – FRAMES & GLAZING
Ultimate windows, aluminium frames powder coated Satin Grey
Double Glazed with 6-12-6 and a grey tint glass
INTERIOR FEATURE MASONRY WALLS
Austral, Bowral Gertrudis Brown (70%) and Bowral Blue (30%) blend
FLOORING
Polished Concrete floor with CCS 8% Black oxide and bluestone aggregate
Max Suthern Timber Floors, Tongue and Grove 14mm heat treated timber floor finished with a satin clear seal
LIGHTING
Exterior – Masson for Light
Interior – Louis Poulsen Moser
Light Culture LED strip in Aluminium extrusions
