When our Forster St clients approached us, they were seeking a peaceful home with a small footprint to maximise the available garden space on their small site. They were conscious of the impact of noise from the street and were seeking a sense of privacy from their neighbours. While the neighbours all have houses facing the street, overshadowing their backyards, the new residence instead nestles around a north-facing garden affording sun, peace and privacy to all rooms of the home. The building has a simple palette of white walls combined with oiled timber. Muted colours are used externally and internally to calmly define spaces. Deep thresholds with large sliding doors provide the opportunity to isolate noise when needed and, when open, to increase the generosity of space. Since the build, the number of residents has expanded from two to four, and although the footprint, at 105 square metres, is meagre by current standards, the building has remained a peaceful and comfortable home in which to live.
Architect
Matt Williams Architects
Consultants
Structural consultant – Aldanmark
Landscape consultant – Earthworm
Environmental consultant – RED Sustainability
Photographer – Jasmin Latona
Photographer – Luke Murphy-Gregory
Building surveyor – Hobart Building Surveying
Contractors
Builder – In2Construction
Joiner – Nick Williams Joinery
Landscaper – Earthworm