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Architects: Jackson Clements Burrows
- Area: 190 m²
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Photographs:Peter Clarke
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Text description provided by the architects. May Grove was designed for a professional couple and Biggles the cat. The client required a modern, low maintenance, open plan sanctuary in the inner city. The design meets the client’s programmatic requirements while also offering a variety of engaging spatial conditions, light and volume to enhance their daily living experience.
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The project explores the relationship between public and private space and re-imagines the vernacular single fronted terrace typology. The design draws upon a restrained material palette of recycled red brick, raw cement sheet panels and timber. The façade is abstract yet engaging and interactive with the street.
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The double garage and upper level windows are articulated with operable perforated shutters which create a seamlessly integrated façade. Pragmatically the operable shutters are devised to expose views, control ventilation, gain solar access and provide privacy. The operability and translucency of the shutters contribute to a level of engagement with the street. This is amplified in the evenings when the glowing perforations animate the façade and create a playful and vibrant entry forecourt.
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The project provided an opportunity for a private house to engage at an urban level. Unlike its neighbors, the house does not enclose itself with a front fence but creates relief with the open forecourt situated within a streetscape of concrete crossovers and high fences. The entry gesture is externalized, signified by a linear deck beginning at the footpath which spans along the eastern boundary. The operability and translucency of the shutters contribute a level of engagement with the street, amplified in the evenings when the glowing perforations animate the façade to create a playful and vibrant entry forecourt.
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On the ground floor, a singular open plan volume accommodates the kitchen, living and dining areas while a double garage fronts the entry forecourt. The first floor accommodates two bedrooms and bathrooms and a large central void which vertically inter-connects the interior volumes. The design meets the client’s pragmatic constraints within budget while also offering a variety of engaging spatial conditions, light and volume to enhance their daily living experience.
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