Residential

Northcote house

Interior Design: Pipkorn Kilpatrick

Located in the vibrant neighbourhood of Westgarth, the clients brief for their semi-detached brick house was to create a considered home for a family of 5 that still allowed plenty of outdoor garden and play space. Working in collaboration with interior designers Pipkorn & Kilpatrick, we considered the site as a story in two parts.

There were considerable rectification works required to bring the original double-fronted street-facing portion of the building back to life. This part of the house had been greatly neglected for about 50 years, yet it was clear there was great width and generous volume to the rooms and gracious hallway. The existing dark and dreary 1970’s rear extension needed to be completely removed, to allow the original footprint of the house to be restored but primarily so a newly designed addition could consider how to promote solar gain and natural light to south-facing rear of the house.

The new two storey addition is held away from the original building, which creates two courtyard spaces either side of a largely glazed hall link. Though the use of masonry is maintained in the extension, there is a clear shift in texture and colour between old and new forms so each are immediately legible. The courtyards provide breathing space between the forms, but they also serve to allow space for solar penetration deep into the plan. There is an abundance of changing natural light conditions experienced within the building throughout the course of the day.

Image: Martina Gemmola