Red Brick House

In beachside Sandringham, this modest post-war dwelling has been given new life. It was fortunate the sturdy red brick house fell into the hands of a contemporary architect who understood its unpretentious bones. With its confusing 1980s additions, daggy paintwork and clutter, this block would have been a sitting duck for a knock down rebuild. Fortunately for the dwindling stock of post-war and mid-century houses in Melbourne’s bayside its quiet potential was seen. It was too nice to knock down.

1980s alterations had complicated the internal planning and energy efficiency was poor. The brief was for a comfortable house suited to a family with pre-teens and a garden integral to the design. The front lounge room with mid-century fireplace was retained as a quiet space for work and music. At the rear, the 1980s kitchen was removed and its low hipped roof replaced with a gable of playful brick and glass. Inside, the new gabled space includes a generous kitchen, lounge and dining area with a sunny northerly garden outlook.

In terms of sustainability, the reworked house is studiously compact. The house was only extended by 18m2 and yet delivers on a big suburban brief - multiple bedrooms, bathrooms and living spaces. Its small footprint and single storey expression preserve the sense of a small house within an established garden. New double glazed windows, insulation, thermal mass, and well functioning cross ventilation deliver a house that uses less than half the energy of an average house.

What was the project brief? 

The brief was for a comfortable, energy efficient house suited to a family with pre-teens and for a garden integral to the design.

What were the challenges of the project? 

One of the challenges was that the existing house was cold and leaky. So, much of the work was in making things airtight. Internal plasterboard was removed to allow external walls to be insulated, new ceiling insulation installed and all glazing replaced with new double glazed windows.

What was your solution?

The great success of this house is the light and improved liveability. This is a relatively small house that feels big, spaces flow into each other and to the outside. The design also honours the unpretentious bones of the post-war house with a natural materials palette. Birch ply cabinetry with a hardwax oil finish has been used to create warmth, while predominantly white surfaces enhance the feeling of spaciousness. Splash back areas feature Japanese tiles. The polished concrete floor slab acts as a highly desirable thermal mass, absorbing warmth from direct sunlight and releasing it at night. The new timber pergola carefully excludes summer sun while permitting winter light. Mechanical heating and cooling is rarely required.

Team

Architect: Sheri Haby Architects
Structural Engineer: GCE
Landscape Architect: Georgia Nichols
Building Surveyor: NK Group
Builder: Gregory Builders
Photographer: Lisbeth Grosmann