House Anand | Carter Williamson Architects

Located on a tight site with an area of 164m2, this project is a two-storey alteration and addition to a Federation style semi-detached dwelling that is home to a family of four. Since the existing home had a clustered and congested internal layout, part of the brief from our clients was to design living spaces with better amenity and connection to each other, that flowed from the front door out through to the back garden. They also required an additional bedroom for their growing family. Bringing in as much natural light as possible was also important, while also maintaining privacy. The challenge of working within heritage constraints was also presented to us.

From this brief was born House Anand, with it’s striking roof plane that peeks out from behind the public-facing facade of the existing home, but does not drastically alter the appearance of the fine-grain row of heritage cottages along Wells Street. When you enter you notice the space is filled with cues in the form of view-framing and details of how to circulate and use the space upon entry. To either move towards the light-filled outdoor area being framed at the end of the entry hall, or move according to the suggestion of the small folded curve in the steel wall, leading you into the living space through to the kitchen which, with its double-height void space, is conceptualised as the hearth where people can gather and interact around its sculptural island.

Deep ribbon windows beautifully illuminate this void space and black steel hoods protect it against direct summer sun while letting the warmth in during winter. The vertical rhythm of the windows and steel elements is further emphasised on the rear facade through the detailing of the CFC Barestone cladding.

The generous double-height space of the kitchen pulls natural light in from the angled clerestory windows above and invites the outdoors in when the large sliding doors are pulled away, leaving a singular steel column to denote the threshold. The result of the need for amenity was the creation of a service wall hidden behind black joinery, which then recedes into the background, allowing the life of the home to take place effortlessly.