IRON MAIDEN HOUSE - cplusc.com.au€¦ · 4 chitectur orkshop IR 5 Introduction Iron Maiden House...

I R O N M A I D E N H O U S E

L O N G U E V I L L E

CplusC Architects

©2018 CplusC Architectural Workshop Pty Ltd All rights reserved. No parts may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of CplusC Architectural Workshop. Registration Nominated Architect Clinton Cole 8688 License 173945c. Photographs by Murray Fredericks & Michael Lassman. For further information, please visit https://www.cplusc.com.au

54 CplusC Architectural Workshop IRON MAIDEN HOUSE

Introduction

Iron Maiden House was designed for a family of five who wanted a home which celebrated the Sydney climate after returning from many years living in Hong Kong.

The design delivers generous living and entertaining areas which flow to outdoor areas at ground level, while an elevated external corridor connects the children’s bedrooms which have outlook onto green spaces and the swimming pool.

Located in Sydney’s lower North Shore, Iron Maiden House enjoys views of the Lane Cove River and the Sydney CBD. The home is consistent with the immediate neighbours in terms of setbacks and maximum height. However, the form is a modern re-interpretation of the gable houses typically found in the area.

The design provides a public presence while preserving privacy on an exposed site. The distinctive cladding is a nod to the iconic Australian vernacular material which is intended to age over

time, developing rusted edges.

A key aspect of the clients’ brief was for a home that had a strong relationship to nature and space to entertain and grow with the family.

The elongated form was designed to maximise links to the outdoors by directing all openings inwards to the central pool and outdoor space, supplemented by the ability to open the house up to create flow between multiple indoor and outdoor spaces when entertaining.

The separate bedroom wing enables the children to build their independence. Bedrooms overflow onto the generous decked walkway, creating more usable space for the kids and gives the hallway a new lease on life.


LOCATION EXISTING HOUSE


At the early stages of the concept development for Iron Maiden House we can begin to see the emergence of the two wings of the home and how this plan might translate into a three dimensional form.

The plan is dissected with ponds while maintaining site lines to critical views from the site of the city skyline.

A construction grid is visible and important from the outset of the project to ensure maximum levels of efficiency are achieved.

Over the page, the dissected forms can be see in a 3D sequence which re-imagines the gable houses typically found in the area.


SHARED SERVICES

FAMILY CONNECTIONLIVING SPACE

PARENTS LIVING / BEDS

KIDS LIVING / BEDS


A PONDSB LIVINGC DININGD KITCHENE FIRE PITF BBQ AREAG GUEST/STUDYH GUEST BATHROOMI LAUNDRYJ GARAGEK SWIMMING POOL

L LOUNGE M BEDROOM 2N BEDROOM 3O BATHROOMP BEDROOM 4Q MAIN BEDROOMR MAIN ENSUITE

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GROUND FLOOR PLAN


The house is comprised of a series of steel portal frames, none of which are identical due to the nature of the double sloped roof.

We worked with the steel fabricators to create drawings of each steel item and their connections to adjacent pieces.

The structural system was drawn up as a three dimensional computer model which allowed for the resolution of complex details before the steel arrived on site and for all parties involved to visualise the intended outcome.


The elongated, corner site presented an opportunity to explore an atypical typology and form for Iron Maiden House.

Given the home would be exposed to the street on two sides, it was also crucial that any design response preserved privacy while maximising the links to the outdoors for the occupants.

A natural gorge, in which water cuts through rock to form secluded spaces was mimicked through use

of double height walls and ponds. This created an inward facing view for the spaces to look onto while mitigating privacy concerns.

Slender, cathedral like spaces were formed around the central thoroughfare with ponds running parallel to walkways to connect the spaces. This provides a sheltered private outdoor space for the family to relax and enjoy.


An external walkway overlooking the swimming pool was provided to link the upstairs bedrooms. The walkway was designed to give the clients’ children a sense of independence as they grow into young adults.

An external walkway is not exactly a traditional response to a hallway and the clients had some reservations early on that we were able to resolve as they decided the benefits far outweighed their concerns.

Through their decision to proceed with the outdoor walkway the clients subsequently saved costs by not building a completely enclosed, secondary internal space that rarely get used and often don’t have access to natural daylight or ventilation.

Instead, they chose to create a space that doubles as private deck for the bedrooms to overflow onto

with great access to natural daylight, passive ventilation and a green outlook. Large, sliding bedroom doors open to reveal an unobstructed view of the planted tensile mesh and swimming pool.

Each bedroom can entertain a small group of friends, spilling out onto the walkway for extra space where necessary. Adults downstairs can passively supervision the children if required.

The bedrooms are adjacent to an indoor, unenclosed second living space. Half height walls are used to define its boundaries yet maintain views to the city and sky.

A quick dash outdoors to get to the bedrooms often elicits squeals of delight from the kids, not dissimilar to the satisfaction of diving into a swimming pool and the feeling of relief you get once you’re in.


The kitchen at Iron Maiden House was initially intended to have one long island bench running parallel to the cook-top and ovens.

However, this idea was modified collaboratively with the clients’ resulting in two generous, but shorter islands that are perpendicular to the cook-top.

The clients imagined entertaining around these islands and wanted clear bench space for milling around and for serving food and drinks.

The second island was envisaged to be more functional, concealing everyday kitchen mess but allowing conversations to be had with people

lounging in the living room while food preparation was under way.

On visiting the house after hand over, we witnessed these islands in use. The arrangement allows people to move freely in a figure eight pattern around the islands, informally encouraging everyone to help with food preparation, passing around of drinks and to converse with different people.

The kitchen wall is strategically located on site to shield from view the immediate neighbour behind it, directing views out to the front yard onto greenery, to the central ponds and to the rear yard and swimming pool.


A favourite nook of ours in Iron Madien House is the coffee alcove, not for it’s complexity but for the joy it brings the clients.

A coffee fanatic, the clients wanted to be able to have a space in the house where they could make a coffee in the morning and sit down to read the newspaper. Not a fan of visible clutter, they also requested that the mess be concealed if necessary.

The joinery was carefully constructed by Bondi Kitchens, with several prototypes of the door to the coffee alcove made before settling on the bi-fold style door.

The cupboard panels align with the other cupboards nearby, particular care was also taken to align with the ovens.


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3 SIZES OF CORRUGATED IRON SHEET PANELS ARE COLLAGED ALONG THE STREET FACING SOUTHERN FACADE

The corrugated iron clad wall at Iron Maiden House was in part inspired by the 1985 book ‘Leaves of Iron’ by Pritzker prize winning architect, Glen Murcutt.

The book discusses the need for independent, strong, attractive and practical architecture.

The wall is on the longest edge of the site that presents to the street.

In coordination with the roofing contractor, we developed a system of three typical sheet sizes that would be used to efficiently clad the south-

western elevation.

The materials are designed to age in place, eventually developing a patina and rusted edges over time.

The tilt-up garage door required coordination with the garage door contractor to develop custom detailing to ensure a seamless junction between the garage door and shingle clad wall.

56 CplusC Architectural Workshop

IRON MAIDEN HOUSE - cplusc.com.au€¦ · 4 chitectur orkshop IR 5 Introduction Iron Maiden House...

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