68 Wolseley Road

The concept for this house is straightforward and unpretentious. The simplicity of the approach and solution was refreshing and openly honest in its expression and materials.

The modest budget was cleverly managed to meet the client’s needs whilst also solving the common problems of spatial flow and light penetration for two storey semis.

Integral to the design philosophy is sustainability. The positioning of the central courtyard and the way rooms engage with this space and the rear garden maximise opportunities for natural ventilation and light penetration.

The courtyard (created from the original living room) becomes the hub of the house as well as providing a major source of outlook, light and air, and the retained fireplace provides both a focal point as well as screening services for the dwelling.

The visual connection from the front of the dwelling to the rear exaggerated the available space making the dwelling feel more expansive and spacious than normally associated with semi-detached dwellings.

The materials used in the adaptation continues this integrity with the unpainted plaster and use of Australian timbers notable in creating the internal ambiance of the house.

The finished house has provided an interior that delivers an adaptable backdrop or canvas for a lifetime’s worth of furniture and collectables.

Sustainability

• The house embodies an affordable, low-tech, passive design for sustainable living
• It caters across generational needs from a young family to aging in place
• Low V.O.C natural materials are used in construction such as timber, recycled brick, breathable unpainted plaster walls, clay, stone, wool, plywood and minimal steel is used

Innovative sustainable design elements:

• The courtyard model is an ancient sustainable typology deployed here with modernised double glazed doors and windows harnessing the elements and providing social autonomy
• A gun barrel sight line has been designed through consecutive aligned doors that allow light, views and breeze through the entire house, reducing energy needs

Environmental footprint of the building is minimised by:

Most significantly, the house gives a family a spacious 3-4 bedroom home in 125sqm – half the size of most 3-4 bed homes in Sydney. Combined with sustainable building materials, Australian timber, harnessing natural light, cooling and heating, this is an extremely low energy home for a family across generations.