Australia Street Courtyard House
This House won in two categories at the 2004 NRMA Insurance HIA Housing Awards Greensmart Energy Efficiency Award and Greeensmart Resource Efficiency Award
and also was a fianlist in the Marrickville Council Heritage Awards for 2005
A major rebuilding of an Inner West commercial corner building into a substantial contemporary residence
The new building retains the existing facade and original front room of the old building. Behind the skin hidden from the street and the busy urban life a new contemporary Aluminium Alloy I Beam frame rises with curving roof forms falling together and corrugated zincalume cladding . The upper floor is set back all round allowing it to become a freestanding pavilion form surrounded by wide terraces and sheltered by pergola structures and timber louvred screens.
This project entails an innovative, adaptive re-use of a derelict commercial building into a high quality, open, light filled urban residence and courtyard garden, with attached office consulting rooms. The building uses passive and active solar design technologies, natural materials, non-toxic finishes and extensive use of recycled materials to achieve a luxurious quality of life for its owners with minimal environmental impact.
The heritage listed façade of the original building has been retained and restored and an environmentally sound, contemporary residence built in behind. This North East facing corner site is opposite the extensive Camperdown Memorial park with views from the upper floor out over the park to the City skyline. The new building has been to designed to act in a beneficial passive solar manner to maximise winter sun and optimise summer shading and natural ventilation. There is a two storey void at the centre of the building allowing extensive light and sun penetration to the lower floor while facilitating natural ventilation action, heated stone floors and a thermal storage pool enhance the comfort and amenity of the dwelling on this 160 SqM allottment.