Builder: Chase Group

Located in Forrest in one of the most developed inner South suburbs in the smallest streets in Canberra is this suburban house.

On first viewing the block we were surprised to see that the original house was not taking advantage of the amazing views to parliament house. There were also remnant trees on the block which were to be considered in the design. The blocks width exceeds its depth and as the northern sun is at the rear of the block we designed the house to be long and narrow so all the rooms capture the northern sun.

The family live a busy lifestyle but wanted their new home to be their haven where they all felt comfortable having friends and family over. The design of the house is almost see through from the street to allow the rooms to take full advantage of solar gain and the streetscape.

On entry there is a large double storey void which is coffered to create volume and scale to the space. In front of you are stairs which begin narrow and expand as you descend to the lower floor. At this level you are able to glimpse the pool. To your left is the formal lounge and to the right is a theatre room.

You then move forward to picture windows and a large terrace to take full advantage of the sun and the afternoon breeze. At this juncture you can then move into the private zone of the master bedroom or the informal zone of the family room and kitchen. The family room and kitchen are all in one space so the family can interact with one another while cooking, talking, playing board games or relaxing. This area is the central hub of the family home.

The lower ground floor is accessed by the central stair or the lift. As you descend the stair you are aware that the stair becomes wider and this allows the house to be one with no distinct demarcation between the upstairs and downstairs. The downstairs contains the children’s wing, a central rumpus room, a garage, ample storage and a gym. All the space is utilised while keeping the costs to a minimum through the simplicity of the design.

The house is meeting the expectations of the family and being utilised as they had planned. The house was designed to allow all the family to grow into the space. It allows them to have their own privacy but also allows them to meet and interact in the central core areas of the house.