Fairlight 05

Thoughtful treatment of light

Fairlight 5 retains the original silhouette of the 1920s Californian bungalow that previously stood on this site. Its pitched roofline, along with its timber shingles, remain. However, Watershed Architects have built on the past and created a comfortable family home for a young couple with two young children.

Although the existing house didn’t take advantage of the site or view over the neighbourhood, there was a certain charm in the original bungalow, in spite of its lack of functionality for a family seeking contemporary living. As a result, a portion of the façade and a portion of the existing structure was retained. However, many of the apertures, such as the front windows, were replaced with full height ones to increase natural light and ventilation.

There’s now an additional level, clearly articulated by aluminium louvres set into a pitched roof. A balcony that leads from the two children’s bedrooms provides a connection to the outdoors. Watershed Architects also made the most of what was virtually an undercroft at the rear of the house, transforming this unused space into a rumpus/television room for the children.

At ground level, there’s now a home office and spare bedroom, together with a bathroom and a laundry. An open plan kitchen, dining and living area, loosely delineated by slight changes of level, adjoin the large new deck via sliding timber and glass doors. Bagged painted brick walls and simple built-in timber joinery create a seamless and uncluttered design. And to further strengthen the connection to the garden, designed by landscape architect Paul Scrivener, automated aluminium louvres over the deck create an ‘outdoor room’. There’s a sense of simplicity in the crafting of spaces and materials. The kitchen, for example, is composed of timber veneer joinery, Elba stone benches and wide oak timber floors, with the island bench conceived as a table to enjoy views of the swimming pool and over the neighbourhood.

Pivotal to the design of this home is the staircase, with a folded steel plate balustrade and open solid oak treads, that allow for natural light to permeate from the skylight above.

Although Fairlight is a fairly modest home by today’s standards, approximately 250 square metres in area, it’s open planning and thoughtful treatment of light creates a sense of spaciousness well beyond its footprint.