A sequence of small gardens designed to “encourage play and motion” break up Hopscotch Home, a Brisbane cottage with an extension to native studio John Ellway.
Positioned on a small property within the suburb of Woolloongabba, the mission leaves the unique constructing and its relationship to the road largely untouched, as an alternative extending again to fill the land.
“If you lengthen a home on this metropolis, the present timber construction is usually lifted into the air and embedded beneath – it is low-cost and fast, nevertheless it destroys the streetscape of the final 100 years,” studio founder John Ellway informed Dezeen.
“The mission engages the road and the neighborhood as an alternative of turning its again,” he continued.
John Ellway laid out the residing areas of Hopscotch Home round 5 gardens, which it was hoped would “encourage play and motion”.
Every was given its personal character, from a ‘neighbourhood backyard’ on the entrance of the home to encourage interplay with the road, to a extra intimate ‘safe courtyard’ overlooking the residing areas on the rear of the positioning.
“The 5 gardens give every adjoining room a facet to seize solar, breeze and lightweight,” Ellway defined. “Partitions, roofs and openings are assembled as a repeating set of items designed to common the climate all year long,” he continued.
“The wall-sized openings of stable shutters handle airflow and rain,” added Ellway.
The doorway to the home was moved to the east aspect. Right here, an entrance backyard leads right into a brick-paved hall that types a ‘backbone’ that runs the size of the home.
Bedrooms and several other non-public areas occupy the unique footprint of the cottage, whereas new residing, eating and lounge areas have been created within the staggered, checkerboard-like plan of the rear extension.
“A brick flooring extends by means of the extra steps to tie the marginally elevated log cabin again to the backyard and into the eating courtyard,” Ellway defined.
“This central hallway permits for diagonal views between residing areas and creates a spine of circulation between previous and new,” he added.
Materially, the Hopscotch Home palette is stored uncovered and uncooked, meant to make the extension really feel extra like an outside house.
Corrugated steel sheets the outside partitions, lined with a layer of steel mesh with vines to each soften the look of the house and supply a further layer of climate safety.
Hopscotch Home was not too long ago shortlisted for the 2023 Dezeen Home Awards.
Different Australian houses not too long ago featured on Dezeen embody a Sydney residence with a “playful and textured” facade and a “non-public oasis” in Melbourne.
Photograph by Toby Scott.