Convertible House
Our aim was to explore how familiar, living spaces could be interpreted in a multitude of ways
This terrace house design aims to demonstrate how familiar, living spaces could be interpreted in a multitude of ways; to explore ideas instead of typology. We wanted to showcase the spatial qualities of the house (2,200 square feet) by breaking down the hierarchies in the house while aligning with the client’s vision of residential precinct with community at its heart.
The physical hierarchies in the house are a metaphor for engagement between levels of the house
Taking advantage of the high roof and ceilings, we sought to maximise the abundance of natural light and cross ventilation throughout the house. It was important for us to show passive design elements in a tropical setting, which resulted in the removal of the permanent wall to allow air-flow and daylight deep into the floor plan.
Plants are integral to the design of the house and blend into the existing architectural elements near glass windows and doors.
In today's multi-generational lifestyles, homes needed to be flexible for the occupants to manipulate for a multitude of different uses. This duality or multiple use of a single element helps to convey the message that good design helps to create possibilities. Convertible House is intended to be flexible with meaning - every design element that was used to define or open up spaces have more than one use, which leads to other possibilities of room configurations. Visual connectivity in the living areas encourages interaction amongst family members.
The jacked roof and high ceilings let in an abundance of natural light and cross ventilation throughout the house
We took advantage of the existing architectural elements to place planter boxes wherever we could near large panes of glass to help with the natural cooling and soothing effects of the house. As one enters the house, they are immediately drawn to the plants that adorn the concrete & metal planter boxes inside the house. Over time, we imagine the entire roof canopy of the front-facing balcony will be dripping with green creepers, providing a natural shading device from the harsh afternoon sun.
Tropical Living at its heart; with a myriad of possibilities using simple, age-old ideas and traditions.
At its core, Convertible House is not only a physical manifestation of building and design ideas with Tropical Living at its heart, it provides a glimpse of how a conventional house can be turned into a home with a myriad of possibilities using simple age-old ideas and traditions.
Text by the architect
PROJECT GALLERY