Residential Alterations & Additions over $800K (West Coast Sam Martin, Sam Martin Building Design, Gloster Street

WINNER

Residential Alterations & Additions over $800K (West Coast)

Designer: Sam Martin, Sam Martin Building Design Location: Gloster Street Web: sammartin.net.au Builder: Wandoo Building Energy Assessor: Thermarate Photographer: Greg Hocking

The Judges said

A beautiful blend of light, large volume spaces and open plan. All neatly hidden behind a modest federation facade. The rear cantilever is staggering. Business at the front and party out the back! A functional design that delivers a large family home with access to light, space and hard-wearing materials. Bringing the past into the future with an eye to the environment. Difficulty lies in re-establishing a space that already exists, and Gloster has achieved a defined and balanced outcome that will be long-lasting.

Project Brief

The brief for Gloster Street was to create a sense of space on the small available footprint so as not to encroach into the backyard. This was achieved by keeping an open courtyard at the end, a double volume glass wall facing onto the courtyard and an uninterrupted kitchen/dining/living area connecting it all. Three metre high ceilings through this area also maximise the volume which is the wow factor you feel as you enter with space, light and size. All the rooms in the house have high ceilings and generous proportions continuing the feeling of space, openness, and light.

Sustainability Considerations

Leveraging old recycled materials for new efficiency points to the future of highly-crafted, sustainable and livable home design. Providing extremely durable and low embodied high impact characteristics, all the old red bricks from the demolition of the previous rear extension were used in the new addition for the courtyard walls, feature walls, steps and the majestic courtyard fireplace. The re-use of all bricks also had the added benefit of minimising landfill.

A double volume glass wall faces onto the courtyard from an uninterrupted kitchen, dining and living space connecting the indoors to outdoors.