The Kite House, Melbourne Residence, New Australian Home Images

The Kite House in Melbourne

Contemporary Building Renovation in Victoria, Australia – design by Architecture Architecture

13 Oct 2016

The Kite House

Design: Architecture Architecture

Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The Kite House

A stand of silver birches marks the place. Their trunks are white heat, tempered by pools of black. Everything here is light and shade. Taking cue from their slender friends, black downpipes score the white walls of the house, disappearing into the canopy above.

Approaching the threshold, the visitor is welcomed by pockets of shade nestled among protective brick walls. A large pivot window and a large pivot door throw themselves wide open, exposing the full throat of the house to the garden.

Inside and out, the roof rests like a canopy. Sky and foliage are ever-present. Light filters in from all sides marking the passage of a day, while overhead, triangles beget triangles, folding and multiplying against the sky like barely tethered kites.

This house renovation stretches diagonally across the junction of its L-shaped backyard, unifying the two arms of the garden with a single gesture. Fin-walls project from the new living spaces, creating pockets of shade and shelter at the thresholds of outdoor living.

Internally, the geometry of the external canopy is drawn inside, bleeding the boundary between indoor and outdoor areas. This gesture also affords the opportunity to ‘flip’ open the rooftop, inviting shards of morning light into the living areas. Through the course of the day, sunlight penetrates the house from multiple angles, subtly marking the passage of time.
In the backyard a garage/studio building emulates the angular gesture of its sibling, though tips its hat in deference. Beneath its generous brim, a private garden provides a place of reflection for the studio space within.

The Kite House in Melbourne – Building Information

Architects: Architecture Architecture
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Team: Michael Roper, Nick James, Anna Nguyen
Builder: KLE Building Group
Project Year: 2016
Manufacturers: Academy Tiles, Dulux, Inlite Platform, Reece, corian