House K

House K
© Rory Gardiner

HOUSE K

Kart Projects | Architecture

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
Structed, Cathy Poon

CONSTRUCTION
Hemming & Nicoll Constructions

LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION
Vogue Grange

ESD CONSULTANT
Blue Lotus

POOL CONSTRUCTION
Grange Pools

PROJECT TEAM
Martin Musiatowicz, Erhau Lee, Karen Fermo, Martyna Sekula, Steph Pahnis

PHOTOGRAPHS
Rory Gardiner

AREA
143 m²

YEAR
2021

LOCATION
Fairfield, Australia

CATEGORY
Houses, House Interiors, Extension

House K
© Rory Gardiner
House K
© Rory Gardiner

Text description provided by architect.

The clients for this project – a couple and their two kids – wanted a single-story house while also retaining as much of their garden as possible on a relatively small block.

House K
© Rory Gardiner
House K
© Rory Gardiner

The design strategy was to remove the old lean-to and add a small 50 m2 extension of connected living spaces, increasing the total footprint of the house by 30 m2, making the most of each space by overlapping functions rather than adding a new room for each.

The new addition is set back from the northern boundary to maximize natural light and create two aspects for the living room.

House K
© Rory Gardiner
House K
© Rory Gardiner

Internally, the coffered ceiling volumes over the extension reference the cellular plan of the existing weatherboard house by creating a series of loosely defined spaces above each ‘room’.

This gives a sense of spaciousness and light by increasing ceiling heights where possible and adding a skylight into one of these ceiling voids to bring natural light deeper into the house.

House K
© Rory Gardiner
House K
© Rory Gardiner

The new spaces are anchored around a storage volume housing a concealed, retractable TV and other tech and a day bed which creates a connecting space in between the study (the last room in the existing house) and the new living area.

The landscape and pool continue this approach outside by overlapping different zones for planting, swimming and gathering.

Mirroring the daybed and storage volume inside, the garden is punctuated by the above-ground pool, a long concrete bench and the vertical volume of a custom steel outdoor fireplace.

House K
House K
© Rory Gardiner
House K
© Rory Gardiner

The materials and finishes are applied in blocks of texture and color to define different elements or sections of the house.

The existing house is divided into two – a light volume for kids bedrooms and study, and a darker ‘moody’ volume housing the main bedroom/ensuite and the corridor connecting to the new extension.

The new spaces are much brighter and more stripped back, with a combination of the terrazzo floor, plywood joinery and walls and two minimal black kitchen cabinets.

House K
© Rory Gardiner
House K
© Rory Gardiner
House K
© Rory Gardiner

Externally, the new addition is distinguished from the old house with a combination of dark cladding and a series of the deep red door reveals and fins which give the façade depth, texture and protect openings.


House K
© Rory Gardiner
House K
© Rory Gardiner
House K
© Rory Gardiner
House K
© Rory Gardiner
House K
© Rory Gardiner
House K
© Rory Gardiner


House K
Section A
House K
Section B


House K
Plan