The Good House | Crone Architects

This bold functional dwelling blurs the line between interior and exterior, bringing together a series of responsive and adaptive spaces. Responding to the challenges of a tight inner suburban site, and a restrictive building envelope, the building’s finely detailed bold rectilinear form is proportionally comfortable in its street context. The home is realised through a series of simple intersecting and overlapping rectangular forms. Each “box” represents a distinct portion of the overall program. The forms of the building have been carefully articulated as both screening devices for privacy, and elements that frame and define views. The robust external cladding that changes appearance significantly in various lighting conditions, gives way to a sophisticated, warm and welcoming interior, filled with natural light, tall ceilings, double height voids and sensuous materials. The definition of interior and exterior is distorted, with banks of operable louvres and huge sliding glass panels presenting the family with the opportunity to engage directly with the outside environment, or to close the place down completely. Fresh, clean and bright, every room feels luxurious without being fussy. The sleek kitchen features white, handle-free storage complemented by stainless steel and white enamel appliances. A timber storage unit clad in “curly birch” defines a spine through the ground floor, adding warmth to the space and creating contrast in a room otherwise decorated in tones of grey and white. Whilst not overtly “green” in appearance, the design philosophy embraces sound ESD principles. Ultimately the design centres around handing control to the occupant through a highly interactive solution. The passive design outcomes, and the options they provide, have resulted in a house that relies little on the active cooling and heating systems.. The Good House presents as a blank canvas, onto which the family adds the detail of their ever changing lives. It provides flexibility for growth and change, with spaces that can be opened up and connected, or closed down for more restricted and intimate use. The primary living zone has been created to serve the clients specific needs for an interactive informal space that caters for the variance of their day to day lives. The house flows effortlessly from one functional area to another and can be opened up to embrace the various adjoining outdoor spaces.