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Architects: Ben Giles Architect
- Area: 230 m²
- Year: 2017
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Photographs:Murray Fredericks
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Manufacturers: ForestOne, Austral Bricks, Bluescope, Boral, Colorbond, Intergrain, Maxline34
Text description provided by the architects. Randwick House is the new home of Helen and Peter, a retired couple who spend much of their time touring Australia in their Land Cruiser. When at home they park the 4WD and camping equipment in the garage and enjoy hosting friends and grandchildren.
Randwick House is:
A house for a retired couple to age-in-place.
A house integrated with its garden.
A house located on the southern side of the site leaving space to create a lineal garden along the northern side.
A house with living spaces visually connected to this northern lineal garden rather than the back fence.
A house that provides high ceiling spaces within a single-pitched roof.
A house that mitigates traffic noise from the busy road.
A house where the western (front) elevation is articulated via a series of projecting sunhoods and blades to mitigate low-angle summer sun.
A house that discretely parks a large vehicle.
A house where the first floor overhangs and shades the ground floor living areas on the north.
A house requiring minimal maintenance.
A house that is simple to build on a regular and repeated grid.
A house that is both open and private.
A house that integrates a covered outdoor living space.
A house with a simple rainwater collection system.
A house that responds to place, client, budget and brief.
Randwick house faces west to a busy road. Traffic volume and noise is significant. It is a flat site surrounded by one and two-storey detached houses. The front of the house aligns with both houses either side and is similar in height. The house is set back approximately 3.3 metres from the northern boundary and 1.5 metres from the southern. The front door and first floor bedroom windows face the street to provide an active street frontage. The front street wall is low, similar to adjoining houses, maintaining views between footpath and house. The house enables the owners to age-in-place. Their ground floor bedroom accommodates single- level living. First floor bedrooms and second living space are for visiting grandchildren. A lift supports first floor access. A pool was required and four bedrooms, a covered outdoor entertaining area, garden area, high ceilings, visual and acoustic privacy from neighbours, and reduce traffic noise from the busy street, all on a limited budget.
