Carter Williamson Architects - Balmain House in Sydney, Australia.

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The original 1860s home sits modestly on its block. From most vantage points on the street set back as it is from its neighbours- the little, weatherboard cottage is almost obscured from view. Humble and unassuming, its appearance defines its cultural significance; the workers cottage preserves a moment in the rich, blue-collar heritage and character of Balmain.

Whilst chic cafes and boutique clothing stores have long since driven out the dockyards and factories, the cottage survives, an evolutionary relic of contemporary Australian architecture. Etched into the locally grown weatherboards are the teeth marks of steam driven saws used in the old Balmain lumberyards and beneath the skin the bones of the home disclose rough sawn log studs, detailing early modes of construction.
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Preserving and restoring the integrity of the existing cottage as part of the streetscape and the

diverse, eclectic, urban fabric of Balmain was always key to development of the site. Any addition needed to be sympathetic, sensitively yet distinctively bridging the divide between new and old.

In response, the design evolved to sit behind and-- recessive from the original cottage. The new building is light, bright and contrasts spatially with the low, intimate spaces of the existing house. In the chasm between the two, new and the old are united through a light connection, a transitional space at the focal point of the home that carves out an intimate courtyard and a soaring gateway to the residence. Along the street, a characteristically period picket fence is reinstated.

The brief from our clients was for light, light and more light. After several years of living in a tight, dark Victorian terrace the couple were ready to embrace the North- easterly aspect of their new block. Operating as an interface between the interior and exterior condition, the rear faade is a playful composition of strong, off-form concrete elements which mediate the light from the east and west, and striking, fixed marble louvres that filter and attenuate northern light in summer yet allow it to be drawn deep inside during winter. Selectively admitting light into the home shields the building from excess solar-heat gain and aids in passive, thermal control. Not only utilitarian, the faade is central to the identity and character of the home, taking on an ephemeral quality as it captures and translates shifts in time and seasons. The marble louvres- cream at noon- glow iridescent blue in the evening as the sun sets and cause dynamic bands of shade to play over the interior walls during the day. Voids over the kitchen and dining rooms open up the interior, and give definition to the

activities of the square, open-plan living spaces of the ground floor. On the upper level the library and main bedroom are organised around the apertures, spatially connecting one space with the next and amplifying the sense of openness that pervades the home.

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Whitney Powers, AIA - River Road Residence in Charleston, South Carolina

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Tuesday, 15 March 2011 06:15

architecture + design House in Whistlers Spring Creek, British Columbia

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Built on a long, narrow site that is positioned between an expansive coastal landscape and a

deep, second growth maritime forest. The clients wanted a very modern and very sustainable 5000-square-foot home/compound, including a four-bedroom main house with combination living/kitchen and dining/library areas, a master bedroom/home office suite, and a two-bedroom guest wing. The house embraces the outdoors through several elements such as a screen porch, second floor terraces, and a deck level pool.

The architect explains that the site gave him the opportunity to use forms and spaces to sculpt the compound into the landscape by breaking the spatial requirements into three distinct sections. The main house rests at the center, flanked on one side by a guest wing and on the other by the master bedroom/home office suite. The three sections form a U-shaped courtyard around a swimming pool. The three sections can be heated or cooled independently so that the entire compound doesnt have to use energy if not in use.
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The site also allowed him to create two very different ways of experiencing the house. From the entrance road, which winds through the dappled shade of the maritime forest, the house presents a more solid, private face with fenestration that hints at what is behind the faade. No two windows are the same. The houses seclusion in the landscape was also an inspiration to create a labyrinthine covered stone entry court tucked underneath the main house to the left of the garage. From there, a staircase rises to the main deck and entrance. The faade facing the approaching driveway features copper cladding that will mellow to a green patina in time, reducing the large homes visual impact on the site.

Beyond the more mysterious entrance, the opposite elevation is dramatically open to the landscape and waterway through an abundance of glazing, terraces and multi-level decking. Deep roof overhangs protect the interior from the harsh summer sun while the windows provide natural illumination and ventilation. The roof above the main house tilts upward to create space for clerestory windows that also provide natural ventilation and daylight.

The entire compounds modern vocabulary welcomed flat rooflines, which allowed the

installation of a vegetated roof on the guest wing. The green roof will filter rainwater, provide excellent insulation and, when the plant materials mature, will create a colorful complement to the homes natural setting. Other green technologies utilized in this project include: geothermal HVAC, foam-in-place insulation, windows constructed of reclaimed cypress, rain-screen wall construction, cistern for storm-water collection and landscape watering, efficient lighting, water-saving plumbing, materials with highly recycled content (salvaged cypress and cement panels for the shell), and paints with no volatile compounds that contribute to indoor air pollution.

In keeping with the clients affinity for recycling, the architect used board paneling recycled from an old barn and a limestone sink carved from part of an old house destroyed by a tornado. The clients early American furnishings set up an interesting contrast with the sleek, contemporary exterior and add an element of cozy. A juxtaposition of light and dark, refined and raw, severe and delicate, transparent and opaque, the compound is strikingly different from the typical residence built along the Low Countrys creeks and waterways. Whitney Powers, AIA is the principal of Studio A Architecture in Charleston, South Carolina

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