The Rampart
Located within the Burley Griffin Conservation Area, the existing house was a labyrinth of doors, rooms and walls with very poor access to great opportunities for northern sunlight. Also lacking was an entry, with the front door opening onto the main living room.
The existing structure of the house is used to inform the location, form and materiality of the new upper level, which houses a bathroom and two children’s bedrooms, while the internal program of the master bedroom and main living level is reconfigured with strong horizontal planes and simple forms that dominate the conservation area. An open plan kitchen and living space is sunken into the site, with access to a northern courtyard and backyard, while an internal row of skylights allows opportunities for direct sunlight deep into the southern edge of the house. The simple palette of materials includes natural stone, painted brickwork and dark cladding and fenestration.