Description

Additions and alterations to a modified California Bungalow house, including a new first floor, rear ground floor and lower ground floor. The original house facing the street was retained.

The family of four wanted a spacious living and entertaining area, with expansive sliding doors maximise direct access to the large rear garden. At they same time they required flexibility to be able to divide the space up for separate use by adults and children, or two groups of people. Movable partitions were designed to slide away seamlessly into a cavity to leave a large entertaining space, or slide to segregate the living areas. The panels were designed for the final panel to exactly meet the junction of the sliding doors, so all doors meet in a three way single point of closure. 

The architects suggested the use of Yakisugi timber cladding – which is a traditional Japanese timber cladding that has been burnt to almost charcoal on the outside. This seals the timber and makes it longer lasting. The black of the charred timber was contrasted with a pale Blackbutt timber used on the ground floor adjacent to outdoor living areas.