Tag Archives: Insider Tours

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Australian Architecture: Somers Beach House Tour

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (August 11, 2023) – Following a brief that required a family beach house that was not only comfortable for two but could house visiting family members, Wellard Architects has delivered a house that flows over two levels. Located on the beachfront, Somers Beach House is formed from a holistic design approach that offers the owners a sense of oasis living.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to The Perfect Beach House 00:25 – Location of the House 00:42 – Brief for the Architect 01:17 – Walkthrough of the Home 02:20 – The Staircase 02:52 – Natural Elements of the House 03:23 – Material Palette 04:23 – Shadow Play in the House 04:54 – Holistic Design Approach

Connecting the house tour over the stacked living forms is the linking external staircase, which allows the two primary users to live independently, or shut down one half of the house when not in use. Furthermore, Somers Beach House is finished with an easy garden path that leads directly down to the sheltered rear yard by Fiona Brockhoff Design and then out further towards the beach.

Upon arrival to Somers Beach House, the house tour begins on the upper level, which contains the primary living, kitchen and dining zones, along with the main bedroom and bathroom. Centred around an established banksia tree, the lap pool allows for the owners to swim out and take in the surrounding views. Moreover, the linking staircase that connects the two levels also allows for easy access straight out to the beach and back through home without leaving sand in the internal spaces of the modern beachfront home.

To complement the home, the existing boatshed that was built in the 1950s was rebuilt and remodeled to the same footprint and dimensions of the original structure. Serving as a miniature version of the main home, the boatshed is filled with minimal furniture and gives the owners a space to find respite as they look over the ocean. As the house is located on the steepest part of the site, the architect has designed the home to cantilever at the southern end to both take advantage of views and connect to the landscape.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Architecture: Tour Of Garden House, Melbourne

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (August 8, 2023) – An inspiring renovation of an existing housing estate – The Secret Garden House that is Mount Eagle Estate – has since retained its relevance to influence a recent renovation by Zen Architects of one of the estate’s original homes, a secret Garden House.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Secret Garden House 00:42 – The Original House 01:04 – The Project Brief for the Home 01:30 – The Material Palette 02:00 – A Walkthrough of the Secret Garden House 02:55 – The Kitchen 03:38 – Enhancing the Existing Garden and Landscape 04:30 – Favourite Aspects of the House

Zen Architects enhances the existing natural landscape and ties the garden back into the home. The midcentury architecture of the secret Garden House had been subjected to minimal changes over the years. Referencing the estate’s design and teardrop shape of the community gardens that once populated it, Zen Architects reflected the curved topographical gestures and fluidity with a desire to subdue the house and make the landscape the hero. Light now enters the house at every opportunity, as do views of the garden beyond.

At the front, the secret Garden House is largely in its original form, although updates have been made through furniture and by optimising thermal comfort – insulating floors and ceilings, and fitting seals and flyscreens to windows. The result is a fully electric home that captures the spirit and beauty of its original 1930s form and exceeds the contemporary 6-star home energy rating.

Upon entry, one is immediately greeted with a panoramic view of the garden beyond – Zen Architects retains the original façade and the front three rooms to provide an unassuming entry that heightens the impact of the interventions beyond. Moving into the extension of the secret Garden House, elements of the landscape – including rock forms, native vegetation and gum trees – inform the natural and organic material palette of the home.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Home Restorations: Tour Of Iririki House In Sydney

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (August 4, 2023) – Tasked with tackling the restoration of a house, Madeline Blanchfield Architects sought to turn Iririki House – which was originally built in 1906 – into a spacious home for a family of seven. With a focus on retaining and restoring the house to its former glory, the team created big open living spaces designed for the family to connect.

Video timeline: 00:00 – History Of The Original Home 00:29 – Introduction To The Project 01:12 – The Restoration Process 01:50 – A Walk Through Of The House 02:44 – Drawing On Red Bricks 03:05 – Features Of The Kitchen and Dining Room 04:00 – Distinctions Between Flooring 04:23 – Final Reflections On The House

With close proximity to the eastern beaches and Sydney city, Iririki House is a restoration of a house that begins from the newly restored front fence and garden to the additions at the rear. Moved to the side of the home, the front door placement allows the family and guests to walk through the restored garden and pass the existing heritage house before entering into the new additions.

Focused on establishing a delineation between old and new, Madeline Blanchfield Architects integrates subtle architecture and design techniques as well as modern furniture. Through the process of restoration, Madeline Blanchfield Architects made sure that all design choices stay respectful to the home’s original character but also reflect a contemporary occupation.

Furthermore, with terrazzo used for flooring on the main level, the house offers an ease of movement from inside to out, and the timber employed throughout differs to that of the original flooring to highlight the difference between spaces.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Architecture: A Tour Of ‘TRIPTYCH’ In Tasmania

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (August 1, 2023) – Nestled into the southern Tasmanian landscape sits Room11’s floating home Triptych project – three unique buildings spanning across a pristine Tasman Peninsula locale.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Engaging Concrete To Create The Floating Home 00:55 – Introduction to 01:55 – The Client’s Vision 02:20 – The Process Of Arrival 02:47 – Playful Interventions Throughout The Home 03:36 – Utilising Mirrors In The Interior Design 04:09 – Landscaping Inspired By The Journey 04:35 – Bespoke Ventilation System 05:09 – The 4th Built Element 05:36 – Manifesting The Original Idea

One of the buildings is Koonya, a home with an experience that extends all the way to the horizon. The outdoor sculptural piece (the Pulmonum), main house and Glass House offer a retreat as well as a raw and direct connection to place that is potent and memorable. As such, Room11 establishes a strong and unwavering approach to creating a floating home.

Concrete is abundantly used across the three projects, with Room11 drawing on its solidity to create a standalone floating home in a broad landscape that offers an immense, modern art-like structure whilst still feeling comfortable and providing a sense of sanctuary. The key to establishing architecture in such a remote location is considering and highlighting the qualities of the site.

The large window looking out towards the horizon acts as a piece of art, marking the endpoint of a journey as one descends into the building before being projected into the landscape. The somewhat brutal approach to creating this floating home allowed Room11 to make playful interventions off the main spaces. For example, one of the bedrooms has a low, horizontal window that offers views of the landscape beyond when one lies down. Additionally, the master bedroom has a sheepskin cupboard, providing a playful and enjoyable element that also exudes a feeling of warmth.

Home Design, Homes, Interior Design, Tours, Videos, Views

Design Tour: ‘Solid Air’ Apartment In Sydney

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (July 28, 2023) – Located in Sydney’s Elizabeth Bay, Solid Air by Anna.Carin Design Studio is an interior designer’s own home that is imbued with a renewed rhythm and voice that speaks to the owner’s Scandinavian heritage.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Nordic-Inspired Apartment 00:25 – An Inner-City Suburb Location 00:48 – The Instant Connection 01:21 – A Walkthrough of the Nordic-Inspired Apartment 01:51 – The Process of Identifying a Unique Aesthetic 02:30 – The Initial Stages of the Design Process 03:20 – A Monochromatic Mood 03:33 – A Predominant Material Colour 04:26 – Repurposing and Reusing

Upon arrival, the apartment immediately stood out to the owner with its arched windows, high ceilings and window seats that complemented the home’s interior. Yet, as with all projects, Anna.Carin Design Studio worked to draw out the unique aesthetic of the apartment with architecture and furniture design.

Beginning with removing some of the walls in the apartment, Anna.Carin Design Studio delved into an array of contemporary design methods that revealed the home’s true nature. Additionally, as the inspiration of song comes into play with each project that Anna.Carin Design Studio works on, Anna-Carin chose the song Solid Air by John Martyn to influence the interior design. With the apartment tour beginning in the hallway space, Anna.Carin Design Studio has placed two main rooms on the left and two to the right.

On the left, the light-filled study allows space for work and play, whilst the master bedroom is stationed on the right side of the hall, along with the main and guest bathrooms. The primary living spaces include a kitchen, dining and living room that are all filled with a natural light from the large arched bay windows.

Through renovating the interior and architecture, Anna-Carin also considered how she wanted to feel within her own home, the emotions she wanted to evoke and, most importantly, how she wants to live there. As such, Anna-Carin McNamara sought to find three emotive words that would express the space of her apartment and decided on ‘serene’, ‘evocative’ and ‘cosmopolitan’.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Modern Garden Homes: ‘Palms Residence’ In Venice

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (July 25, 2023) – From the moment the gates opened, client and interior designer Gillian Wynn knew Palms Residence was the secret garden house she had been looking for. After enlisting the help of Olson Kundig for the architecture and design of her home, Gillian delivered a brief that asked for something that was unlike the past work of the studio.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction From The Homeowner 00:57 – Collaborating With The Architect 01:28 – Intertwining The Indoors And Outdoors 02:43 – Venice’s Natural Light 03:14 – The Unique Kinetic Sculpture 04:09 – A Modest Palette 04:56 – Disappearing Into The Garden 05:27 – The Deconstructed Geometry Of The House

As the agenda of the residence was mostly focused on emphasising the garden, both Tom Kundig, Principal and Founder at Olson Kundig, and Gillian knew that in order to make her vision come to life, the home needed to be manipulated around nature. Seen throughout the house tour is a yoga studio, living and dining areas and a couple of bedrooms, each space blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor living and taking advantage of the paradise-like climate of Venice. Employing a number of design techniques,

Olson Kundig treats architecture like “layers of clothing,” in that there are multiple ways to open and close the home and manipulate how one can enter and exit. Yet it is how the garden is shaped around the home to encourage light to trickle through the trees and inside to complement the interior design that turns Palms Residence into a secret garden house. With the focal point of indoor and outdoor living, the home is complemented with wide glass doors and a glass-walled stairwell that invites the light in and creates a warming character.

Moreover, due to the home’s location, there is a magical quality of natural light that emphasises the architecture and interior design from the moment the sun rises and until it sets. Additionally, the home’s private yoga studio features a Gamelatron installation, a kinetic sculpture designed by the owner’s close friend Aaron Taylor Kuffner. Composed on site, the sculpture emits a sound bath via Indonesian gongs, which sets the tone of meditation and flow for the rest of the secret garden house.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Modern Home Design: ‘Wurrungwuri’ In Sydney

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (July 21, 2023) – Exuding the immediate feeling of joy, Wurrungwuri by Carter Williamson offers a pleasant experience from the home’s heritage façade to its modern extensions to become the best modern home in the area.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro To The Modern Home 00:43 – Interpreting The Brief 01:43 – The Collaborative Process 02:27 – A Walkthrough of the Modern Home 03:53 – The Exterior Landscape and Garden 04:25 – Responding To The Site of the Home 04:58 – Balancing Natural Lighting And Voids 05:51 – Interweaving The Old And New Addition 06:59 – Creating A Sense Of Discovery in the Home 07:36 – The Internal Heating Process 08:01 – A Personal Art Gallery 08:36 – A Rewarding Resolution

As the clients desired a modern renovation to improve Wurrungwuri’s original from, Carter Williamson added a new addition that would respond to the heritage structure and rear harbour views as well as allow the owners to showcase their artwork.

Both architect and interior designer, Carter Williamson performed the perfect collaboration between the client, architect, designer and builder, which resulted in the delivery of the best modern home. From the front door, one experiences a warm welcome as they step into the original home, with living spaces to one side and bedrooms to the other.

Moving further into the best modern home, a threshold between the old and new acts as a gallery. With a double-height void allowing for a connection to the dining room below, the void becomes an important part of the home’s interior design. In the below new additions, Carter Williamson has placed darker rooms to the left that sit under the original home, whilst light-filled spaces sit to the right. The home then leads into the main entertaining rooms and kitchen as well as the dining room that sits directly under the void that features a Tom Dixon chandelier.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Design Tour: Waterfront Modern Home In Sydney

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (July 18, 2023) – Nestled in a serene waterfront location just north of the Sydney CBD, Northbridge is a modern house that seamlessly integrates with the surrounding landscape and topography of its site.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Waterfront Modern House 00:33 – The Serene Location 00:58 – A Walkthrough of the Home 01:29 – Separation by Stairs 02:08 – Key Interior Features 02:48 – The Intimacy of the Lower Level 03:31 – A Focus on the Exterior Landscape Architecture 04:13 – Considerations of Designing Waterfront Houses 05:05 – The Rewarding Aspects

Working with the challenge of a sloped, narrow block and existing elements, including a natural watercourse, rocky outcrops and mature tree ferns, became crucial to the design of the home. To work around the decline of the terrain, the modern house is made of varying levels that cascade towards the water.

Accessed via an external bridge that looks down over a courtyard, the top floor of the residence features a central staircase with a lounge room to one side and a dining and kitchen area to the other – both spaces open to an expansive balcony with breathtaking north-eastern views. The level below the entry houses the bedrooms, which dial around the central staircase – two of which face towards the views with an outlook that engages the tops of the tree ferns.

The lowest living area of the house links directly to the garden, enabling a beautiful intimacy with the landscape to enter into the modern house. In this sense, the garden and surrounding views are central to the home’s design. Structurally, the central staircase provides a sense of circulation and symmetry. From this vertical atrium, there are sweeping horizontal and vertical views through to the garden and down to the water beyond.

Behind the living room is a tranquil courtyard that offers shelter from the wind, as well as a pool that leads to another garden continuing down to the harbour. Down there the cube-shaped house can be seen from a different perspective – glimpsed through a curtilage of an enchanted garden of tree ferns, palms and curved sandstone walls.

#ModernHouse #Architecture #Sydney

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Architecture: The ‘Desert Palisades’ In Palm Springs

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (July 14, 2023) – Floating above the landscape is the best modernist home. Desert Palisades by Woods + Dangaran is a family home that was built from a goal to introduce a more international style of modernism to the desert.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Best Modernist Home 01:06 – Creating A Family Refuge and Paying Homage to the Mountains 01:39 – The Approach of the Home 02:04 – Ensuring the Home is Timeless and Fitting 02:34 – A Climate Focused Material Palette 03:50 – The Tonal Nature of the Home 04:33 – A Fine Curation of the Details 05:28 – Taking A Backseat to the Surroundings

Though focused on creating a desert oasis home in which the family could escape to and decompress, the architects have also paid homage to the mountain and enabled the owners to experience its form completely. In line with the basin of the San Jacinto Mountain, the home encompasses views across Palm Springs and the surrounding rocky landscape that further encourages the owners to not only appreciate it but to connect with it.

Approaching the desert oasis home as if it is a beacon on the hillside, the house tour unfolds in a natural procession, guiding viewers past the pool area and then into the pavilions that showcase the home’s sweeping views. Recognising the presence that the structure holds, Woods + Dangaran worked with a responsibility to make sure the best modernist home feels timeless and fits into the desert landscape. From its base, the architecture of the house is made up of a concrete masonry unit, while the support walls and ends of the pavilion are created with burnished CMU blocks that appear to come from the soil.

Architecture, Home Design, Homes, Tours, Videos, Views

Architecture: Matagouri House In New Zealand

Video Leave a comment

The Local Project (July 11, 2023) – A beautiful house grounded within an extraordinary landscape setting, Matagouri House provides an immediate visual impact without taking away from the natural beauty of the surrounding environment.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction 00:18 – The Location of Matagouri 00:38 – The Design Process 01:23 – Defining Themes 01:56 – Inspiration Behind the Rooftop Garden 02:32 – The Client and The Brief 03:14 – The Composition of the Home 03:55 – Reflecting The Landscape 04:47 – Aspirations For The Future

Removed from the urban centre of Queenstown, New Zealand, the home sits between two natural mounds in the surrounding tussock at the foot of The Remarkables mountain range and the edge of Lake Wakatipu. Sitting upon a plateau that lies within a broader curtilage of land, interior spaces are laid out around a sheltered courtyard under an engineered timber roof plane. The main living area of the beautiful house is considered a peninsula, a singular wide space that wraps around a protected courtyard.

This courtyard has a strong sense of gravity for the overall composition of the land as it accesses the public wings of the building, including the kitchen and dining area. Bedrooms are upstairs – the elevated position and the interior design of the rooms nurture the aspect beyond the roof. As such, the powerful landscape setting is integral to the form and overall design of the beautiful house. Fearon Hay Architects draws on this in an interesting way to develop an occupation at a scale that feels comfortable for the residents.

To do this they moderate the way the house captures the view, with areas removing the view entirely – the outlook is taken away and then re-presented for its impact to be fully understood. The beautiful house remains exquisitely immersed in the landscape. For example, the engineered timber roof plane carries a planted tussock green rooftop garden and is shaped to marry into the natural landforms.

The way the home and the landscape blend into one also enables a strong sense of historic occupation. The architecture of the building isn’t read as a new structure but is instead embedded in the landscape as if it has been developed over time.