Premaydena house – Misho + Associates
Project summary
The Premaydena house sits on a low podium on a largely wooded site. A balsa model, which expressed ideas the architect had been considering for his own house – lightness, simple modular proportions, screening and layering – inspires the house. To address the issue of cold, salty wind, the house is ‘a box within a box’; to address the clients’ request for two bedrooms and ensuites, separated from the living area, the house is ‘a box beside a box’. The house is highly visible due to its external orange metal panels, matched to the lichen that is ubiquitous to local beaches. The panels slide open to reveal a two-stage, private core. First, they enclose a verandah, which excludes summer sun, wind and salt moisture. Windows align perfectly with the parted panels and minimal internal ornamentation allows the residents to muse on the shifting clouds or geometric patterns of light cast on the verandah when the panels are closed on a bright, windy day. In the house, the application of boxes within and beside each other generates a series of elegant living spaces that provide respite from the external elements and opportunities to re-engage with daily rituals.
Construction
Brett Perry – builder
Consultants
Matthew Webster – structural consultant
David Burns – landscape consultant
Misho Vasiljevich – Misho + Associates – interior designer
Dr John Paul Cummings – environmental consultant
David Morey – pitt&sherry – building surveyor
Hayward/Crisp Brothers – steel fabricator and installation
HydroSol – solar hot water systems and plumbing/zinc roofing and ss gutters
Robbie Griggs Electrical – electrician
Tasman Windows and Joinery – timber windows
Glass Supplies – double glazing
Professional Plumbing – Envirocycle system