Architect: FMD Architects, 2019
Join us for a conversation about our design process and the ideas which informed our design of Split House. We will walk through the concept diagrams, drawings and images of the house to provide an informative description on how we design contemporary additions to heritage buildings.
The spatial qualities of the existing cottage drove the design team to develop a narrative around inverted and split volumes, establishing a pattern language and balanced visual cohesion.
The new addition follows the existing roofline with an apex cut out, drawing in northern light. The lowered roofline below reinforces the line of the existing double-loaded corridor in the new open plan living spaces, allowing the spaces to be split into two zones; the kitchen and dining to the east and the lounge to the west. The raked roof line is expressed internally in both spaces with the lowered corridor ceiling dividing the two.
The ‘split’ concept is reinforced in subtle interior gestures throughout the home. Each element articulates connection and individuality, reflecting the personalities that come together as a family unit. The kitchen bench is composed of offset sculpted forms, bathroom joinery is articulated in triangulated geometries, while the northern deck reiterates the roof form in plan, mimicking an inverted shadow cast by the building.
There will be time at the end for questions from the viewers about the project or our process.
Photos: Peter Bennetts.
