Designing a building to fit perfectly into the environment in which it is inserted is not something that is within everyone’s reach. This was one of the challenges facing Studio Bright, which was commissioned to create a new house in a place dominated by the typical and traditional terraced houses South Melbourne. And he surpassed it, with an interesting project called 8 Yard House, a beautiful house that, although it breaks with the environment, does so in a respectful way, thanks to a beautiful brick façade that plays with the rhythms and patterns of lights and shadows.
Aligning with the heritage requirements and the urban grain, the front elevation follows the rhythm of the street and is presented as two elements: a unique perforated brick façade and then the entry point and the windows”, they explain from the studio.
The simple plan of the front elevation of the house is gently curved towards its entrance, as if inviting the inhabitants to explore beyond the perforations of the lime-washed bricks. While the design language stands apart from the surrounding built environment, a neutral palette, a detail of circular roof, which mimics the silhouettes of the surrounding roofsand an intentional agreement with the widths and proportions of the nearby terraces, support the integration of the house into its urban landscape.
Inside, a complete agenda of habitable spaces has been planned to satisfy the needs of all the residents, demanding a significant built volume. Crossing the entry threshold, traditional terrace patterns inform rooms that extend to either side of a central passage, supporting the façade’s landmark goals by seeking a respect for the patrimonial environment through contemporary applications.
In the front master bedroom, light filters through openings in the façade and through an intermediate patio space. a sense of design balances strong materiality and understated style. Heavy drapes, wool rugs, large sliding doors, and a retreat from the home’s social spaces provide silence and underscore the space’s purpose: to facilitate sleep and rest.
As the house develops, the main living spaces move to the south. Each one of them turns increasingly private by nature. This overly linear arrangement has been countered through a number of design interventions.
Continuing the essence established by the front patio, a second outdoor space reveals a sequence of exterior zones. With a pool, this second space activates the interior of the house through an ambient game of light reflected in the water. Continuing further, the courtyards are linked to each other and to the interior through thick, materially homogeneous divisions that march seamlessly through the outer skin to define both the rooms and gardens.