Grigg Park
Grigg Park
2018-2022
Team: Sion Bourne
Contractor: Vinnbuild
Structural Engineer: B. Waddell Consulting Engineers
Energy Assessor: Greenstart Consulting
Building Surveyor: Greenstart Consulting
Land Surveyor: Zenith Surveying
Grigg Park house is an existing corner block cottage that fronts an adjacent suburban reserve. Although well-loved the house was tired with materials nearing ‘end-of-life’ when we were tasked with its restoration and addition.
Several small irregular shaped garden spaces encircle the house as a consequence of the dwellings splayed orientation. One of these spaces, an intimate sunken garden and jacaranda tree to the houses north, was already the center of everyday life at the home. This space became the focus of the new works, our approach ideated by the client’s aspiration to further connect the house’s interior and exterior environments.
The reconfigured cooking and dining areas are compressed and elongated, exaggerating the impact of a new full height opening to the garden. At the internal terminus of the space, a previously landlocked dining room is liberated by an operable roof window atop a pyramidal ceiling. This incursion delivers a means to passively purge summer heat and offer natural light to the surrounding un-restored areas of the house.
Irregular in shape & form, the new ensuite addition is a playful interpretation of the local streetscape policy, sculpted to minimise the impact of perceived bulk upon the sunken garden. The ensuite cheekily ‘looks away’ to mitigate overlooking from the elevated neighbouring property and soak up the morning sun.