This The Local Project video
is sponsored by Blueland. We look at architecture as having
a narrative and something with a hundred years of history is going to have
a rich tapestry of narrative and we look at what we are going to embark on is just
the next chapter of many chapters to come. The first thing we noticed was the very well-kept,
intact, weatherboard freestanding cottage, so we were really looking forward to seeing what we
could do to complement this hundred-year-old house in a way that would see Pippi and Ian
through the 21st century and in retirement. So this project is situated in Malvern
East. The area is home to a large stock of heritage dwellings, in particular,
detached weatherboard Victorian cottages. Ellie and I both have a great passion for
that heritage housing stock in Melbourne and think that too often it's neglected or not
treated with enough respect. We get great joy in creating these modern spaces to the rear of
these heritage homes, not only respecting what was there originally but something that meets the
needs of modern day living and our clients lives. Our clients approached us they were downsizing
from the big family home in the area. They came across this site and loved the heritage
nature of the front of the block, however even though the house was recently renovated, the
footprint was inadequate for the client's needs. We had the pleasure of retaining
as much of the cottage as possible and creating this modest but larger footprint
for the living, kitchen, dining at the rear. We approach our architecture as a backdrop
to our clients lives and livelihood, where the architecture isn't fighting for attention
but it more supports them to express their style. One of the comments the clients came to us
with when they first purchased the house was a open inspection they went to and the surprise
of a green space behind the kitchen bench, so from this day forwards we knew that green pockets
were going to be a huge part of this design. That greenery injection into the house, that was a
big hook for us that we really sort of played with for the rest of the design. We suggested actually using a green marble. We
like that it hit some typical heritage tones of the area so we thought that the poetry was
there to really connect two green spaces and bring that into the house through the use of
that green marble. We knew that that interface between inside and outside was really important
ans we wanted to deliver an abundance of light, air, greenery to the inside rooms.
Again, that sort of helps bolster, in our opinion, a modest footprint
to feel much bigger than it is. By visually drawing that landscaping
into the house, it lets your eye carry beyond the footprint of the home into
the landscape. It makes it feel quite spacious and it also allows the footprint to capture
as much of that natural light as possible. Light's one of the first things we'll
consider when we put pen to paper; it's always where's north, how can
we get light into living spaces. So here, with a 40 metre northern exposure to
the new areas, we really wanted to implement some thermal mass both through the double brick walls
but also through the concrete slab. Facing north that can they can absorb the heat all through
the day and then radiate that back into the house overnight. Glazing features quite prominently
in this house and it's carefully selected its orientation and placement but also its
operation, so we've got great crossfire ventilation with all the internal courtyards and
pockets delivering that fresh air into the house. We realised that we have managed to
create seven different outdoor areas by creating these more defined spaces. The
occupants of the space still feel as though they can interact with each other without
feeling like they're living on top of each other. I think one of the surprises was probably Pippi
and Ian's sense for adventure in this process. I think it was really great to sort of see their
personality come out in some of those selections. They trusted us from day one to see their vision and to explore the interesting aspects of what
they were trying to achieve with their brief; not only materiality but ensuring the
longevity of this home for years to come. This The Local Project video is
sponsored by Blueland. Blueland are revolutionising home cleaning with
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Using Blueland products is also cost effective. Instead of buying individual cleaning
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four reusable bottles and plastic-free refills, you can save up to 20%. We appreciate that
there is no single-use plastic in any component, from bottles, tablets, wrappers to shipping. By
replacing our studio hand soap with the forever bottle from the Essentials Kit, we are saving
an average of 25 single-use bottles per year. Blueland products make it easy and affordable to
reduce waste and keep your home or studio clean. Head to the link in the video description to get a
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