Sky House

Approach

The clients – a family of five – loved the area yet needed more space, so we created a package of environmental design solutions and flexibility to adapt as their needs change over the next 20+ years. A self-contained area can accommodate aging parents, an au pair or university-aged children, or generate an income stream.

Process

At the centre of the house, a large operable sky window performs several important functions:

• it brings light into previously dark rooms and spaces;
• it helps to vertically and horizontally connect rooms and spaces, and to denote public and private zones; and
• it contributes to passive heating and cooling, by providing every room with cross-ventilation and utilising the thermal chimney effect.

Other sustainable design elements include green roofs, retractable shade to reduce solar heat-gain, a productive vegetable garden and rainwater harvesting, most of which are atypical on small inner-city lots.

Council initially objected to some elements of our comprehensive design solution – because of the area’s heritage conservation restrictions – but we conducted a series of meetings with officers to explain, discuss and negotiate an outcome that complied with both sustainability and heritage requirements.

As a result of our proactive approach, we obtained Council approval in a reasonable timeframe without compromising on any of the clients’ design ambitions.

Results

Through the combination of environmental design solutions, the house proactively responds to the challenges of a changing climate in the inner city, thanks to the innovative atrium which single-handedly resolves many of the usual problems encountered in the traditional terrace houses.

As such, Sky Home transforms the experience of living in the inner city, allowing our clients to observe the changing seasons; welcome in the clouds, trees and the sky; and enjoy a unique connection with nature’s elements.