The 'Grand Room,' fragmentation and perspective vistas as a space creating strategy on a narrow block.

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Clients approached us with an interesting block situation, which was once an easement. Overlooked on 3 sides by neighbours and only 10 metres wide and 70 metres long, an early design strategy was to focus 'inward' rather than 'outward.'

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Fragmenting the functional spaces of a a traditionally designed dwelling presented an opportunity to create a 'grand outdoor room' where the outside of the house forms a core with the main zones of the building overlooking and participating in this important central space.

 

​The parti was simple. Two 2 storey 'eskies' facing each other and teased apart with a single storey glass circulation link spanning between the two.

 

Raising the private areas to the second storey, the ground floor living, dining, kitchen and rumpus zones enjoy uninterrupted views between each other and to the back of the site giving a feeling of grand spaciousness.

 

By teasing apart the two main volumes of the house, a privacy gradient is created from the front of the block to the back.

 

​The grand outdoor room houses a manicured lawn and orthogonal swimming pool evoking  a formal yet functional and domestic landscape.