Little Richardson
about
A compositional formal and elevation study refined an arrangement of horizontal and vertical strip windows in the red-brick façade extending some of the existing openings / patching in others. The form robustly occupies the laneway corner, a sculptural intent and important to reuse the existing structure where possible as a conceptual and contextual strategy. It was important to seamlessly connect courtyard to living space - you enter the house when you enter the courtyard, and this sense of landscape connection is important to environmental sensory design, improving psychological wellbeing. Interior materiality was explored through the haptic; consideration of daylight effects to a condensed palette exploring 4 elements and their relationship to the body; the paring of white spaces with the tonal richness of dark tiled spaces to wet areas, concrete; inside-outside on the ground floor, external stair and roof-deck cladding above, and various oak timbers defining the ceiling plane and joinery. As Derek John Clements-Croome writes; “We link our perceptions about materials through our senses … they hold memories of activities ….. in other words, materials can hold our emotion"...
sustainability
Sustainability measures include higher levels of insulation from client brief, all internal timber or wood panels FSC-Certified including by Evanex and Polytechnic products, high levels of natural daylight introduced together with new zoned lighting systems that minimise running costs during the day, and rainwater collection and rain gardens to reduce overflowing in storm events to the historic stormwater drains in this part of City of Port Phillip. Sun-shading to all north and west windows and even the external charred timber cladding is FSC certified.