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Architects: Robeson Architects
- Area: 180 m²
- Year: 2015
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Photographs:Dion Robeson
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Manufacturers: AutoDesk, Bernini Stone
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Lead Architect: Simone Robeson
Text description provided by the architects. Mount Lawley House is the architects own home, built on a 180m2 triangular lot. This challenging site also has the busy Vincent Street to its north and a 1.5m sewer easement to the rear boundary. Regardless, this prime location is wedged between Hyde Park and bustling Beaufort Street, and just a few kilometers from Perth. The design represents the client/architect’s belief in function over convention and that small, odd parcels of land can be successfully and affordably developed into interesting and spacious buildings.
Working with the council and neighbors ensured a smooth planning approval resulting in 170m2 of the gross area being provided. It demonstrates to the public how much effective space can be created from small lots and the importance of architecture to achieve this. The geometric forms of the house are bold and unprecedented in its immediate surrounds, however, adds to the mix of cathedrals, block apartments, and character homes that prevail. The local council was supportive of the modernist aesthetic and encourage a mix of new and old buildings, enhancing the vibrancy and diversity of the area.
The brief called for a minimal home and home office for a professional couple who work from home. The 28m2 home office engages with the street level, with the main living areas above. The 70m2 living area balances the clients desire to engage with the vibrant surrounds and the need for privacy. High-level expansive glass opens up the entire living area to the Hyde Park treetops, omitting any view of the home's backyards below with the exception of character chimneys. 2-way glass in the projecting steel box on the Vincent Street side acts as a retreat for sitting and watching the street below. Every opening was considered and sight lines are drawn to ensure privacy where needed.
Low E, acoustic glass dulls peak hour sounds. Circulation is minimal and every space has a use or two, with ample of inbuilt storage and furniture. Engineers were engaged early to enable building on the sewer set-back line (through piling) and to support the 650km steel box window. A local artist has been commissioned to do a mural on the boundary wall. Its strength lies in its allocation of the limited budget to produce a high spec home with luxury finishes, valuing the quality of spaces over quantity.
Key features such as the waterfall skylight glass over the stair, the steel box window and the expansive stacking glazing in the living area were possible due to savings in other areas. The overall contract price of $464,000 + GST came in lower once all provisional sum adjustments were made. It is sustainable firstly in the amount of land per person, which is drastically lower than average. Low E acoustic glass, exposed concrete floor, and cross ventilation were all incorporated reducing the need for air conditioning. The house has become a positive talking point in the Mount Lawley community and is known as “the triangle house”.
