Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson

Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Image 2 of 13Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Interior Photography, Chair, WindowsBill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Interior Photography, Living Room, Sofa, Table, WindowsBill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Interior Photography, WindowsBill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - More Images+ 8

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Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Exterior Photography, Facade, Windows
© Prue Ruscoe

Text description provided by the architects. Our clients Bill and Kate had purchased a run down post-war brick semi-detached house in Bondi. As is typical of this period of housing the plan consisted of a series of poorly-lit consecutive rooms, ending in a lean-to extension that blocked the internal areas from views to an unkempt rear garden.

Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Image 7 of 13
© Prue Ruscoe

To accommodate a growing family, an upper floor extension was proposed within a new gable roof form. The upper floor nestles behind the ridge of the existing street facing roof, minimising the appearance of the second floor addition. The new gable roof form is influenced by the angles of the existing roof and creates a structure that, while clearly contemporary, has a distinctive design relationship to the existing house and its surrounds.

Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Interior Photography, Living Room, Sofa, Table, Windows
© Prue Ruscoe

Internally the gable form creates a number of dramatic volumes that you would not expect in a house of this size. The culmination of these spaces is the main bedroom which looks out to the rear garden through a filter of plants and louvres.

Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Interior Photography, Sofa
© Prue Ruscoe
Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Image 13 of 13
Plans
Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Interior Photography, Chair, Windows
© Prue Ruscoe

Our design approach centred on improving the connection of the house to the exterior. This was achieved through careful positioning of windows and skylights, and by reorienting the house to engage with its new rear garden setting and pool. A large steel canopy frames views of the garden from the interior, whilst also providing weather protection and supporting a planted roof adjacent to the main bedroom above.

Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Interior Photography, Sofa, Chair
© Prue Ruscoe
Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Exterior Photography, Chair
© Prue Ruscoe

The landscape design added a softness to the scheme which contrasts the crisp black outline of the built from. Likewise the interior design brought a fresh colour palette of subtle hues, complementing with the dark metal framing of the exterior.

Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson - Image 2 of 13
© Prue Ruscoe

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Cite: "Bill and Kate's House / Potter&Wilson" 08 May 2019. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/916575/bill-and-kates-house-potter-and-wilson> ISSN 0719-8884

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