Easy Street, Albury, New South Wales
Modest in size and rural in sensibility is East Street, a private residence located in Albury, New South Wales. Architects, Kerstin Thompson Architects, took inspiration from the surroundings when designing.
To capture its rural setting, the material palette is robust and direct, with concrete slab, bricks, cement sheet and ply for interior linings and joinery. An environmentally responsive building envelope, it incorporates flyscreens and can open up or shut down via sliding perforated cement sheet screens, louvres and windows to adapt to the extremes of Albury’s climatic variation.
“The client had chosen the site many years earlier because of its sweeping views to Mt Huon, the design of the house frames and captures these stunning views,” said Lynn Chew, Kerstin Thompson Architects. “Adjusted to the slope of the land, the house is arranged along two terraces, an upper and lower one, which organise functions and differentiates between a warmer north side and a cooler south side. The stepped floor in combination with the roof angle create living spaces that are shady in summer, sun-filled in winter and completed by magnificent views south towards Mt Huon.”
Keeping in mind the material palette, Kerstin Thompson Architects used Armourpanel Blackbutt hardwood sheet lining on doors, walls and for joinery timber, injecting warmth into the home and further enhanced spaces with the combination of a restrained palette of darkly stained plywood, raked cement-sheet ceilings and matt sheened concrete floors. “The natural colorations and depth of colour of the timber, chosen in a large format 3mm thick face veneer panels, along with the unique timber characteristics, accompany the views and changing landscape,” said Chew.
The natural masterpiece has already won awards with East Street taking home 2020 AIA National Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New) Named Award The Robin Boyd Award and 2020 AIA New South Wales Chapter Awards, Residential Architecture – Houses (New).
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