David Barr, director of Cast Studio, says the clients wanted to restore, use and celebrate the beautiful existing house while also extending it with bold, geometric spaces. “They wanted a new home in which existing and new elements are unified with a holistic design that considers their growing family’s needs now and into the future,” says David.
The family of four and their happy hound now have a three-level home on a sizeable 930sqm block. The kids’ bedrooms and a spare room are in the original part of the house. The scope of works was significant, the extension introducing an L-shaped north-facing living and dining pavilion that seamlessly integrates living areas with leafy gardens and swimming pool. The extension also contains a single-storey rear master bedroom wing.
David says the living-dining area with attached kitchen is set down half a level from the original house. “This space is the new heart of the house, with a double-height volume over the living room and a study/guest bedroom over the kitchen,” he explains.
The home incorporates off-form concrete, which David says is rare in domestic construction in Perth, given its hot climate. “The clients wanted to have concrete, with its imperfections, as a backdrop to their significant art collection.”
In putting together the design, David says they were inspired by the history of brutalist architecture in Western Australia. He knew they could make it work, but the subsequent material choices had to be handled with finesse. “We were acutely aware the concrete needed to be balanced with softer materials to foster a sense of homeliness for the family in what otherwise might feel like an institutional space,” he shares.
Concrete is indeed used throughout the project, in a range of finishes, with stunning results. David says the use of a single material internally, externally and structurally gives the extension a clarity and efficiency. “It reflects the client’s shared interest in restrained architectural spaces that ‘do more with less’,” he says.
The additions are a series of warm light-filled spaces that offer beauty and modern amenity. Walnut timber flooring, wall lining and cabinetry, soft rugs and sheer curtains, as well as patterned marble, balance the austere cool concrete.
There were some memorable moments during the project. It was a complex build that needed to be executed with meticulous attention to detail. “It was quite nerve-wracking; you don’t really get much opportunity to correct a wall that doesn’t look perfect,” he explains. “The palpable feeling of relief when each piece of formwork was successfully stripped was shared by builder, concreter, client and architect alike.”
One of the most visually impressive features of the home is the transition between old and new. David says they don’t often use the term ‘wow factor’ but it was there when you stepped down into the double-height volume of the new living room. “Framed by large, double-glazed sliding doors that open to the back garden, floating walls of off-form concrete walls change the scale of the house in an instant,” he enthuses.
From sketch design to project completion, there was only one change and that was adding a rooftop deck to capture the views. Well-considered passive-solar layout and high thermal efficiency mean this home ticks the boxes for sustainability. David says the project’s principal sustainability credentials lie in the almost complete retention of the existing house. “We were also conscious of the embodied energy that concrete has, so we wanted to at least create a thermally efficient envelope that would last decades to come,” he adds.
With its extension, this project seeks not to overshadow, but rather to blend, to unify the streetscape. The new addition sits behind the original house; the fall of the block conceals its height and size. David says only the fence and carport hint at the property’s complete transformation.
“In this way the project demonstrates the potential public and cultural benefits of discreet architectural interventions located within heritage areas — contemporary architecture that doesn’t shout for attention,” says David.
