Experience was the key to reinvigorating Brunswick House, with Placement guided by a client who had lived in the home for the better part of a decade. The new addition designed by the practice holds a modest footprint, yet maintains the sense of warmth felt throughout the existing.
The extension of Brunswick House is practical and functional, and provides space to a couple that do not require additional bedrooms or utility spaces. The two front rooms of the home have been maintained for character and synergy with the streetscape, with the rest of the building given a contemporary update. Through a number of incisions and the removal of walls, the space is open and light filled, with the living space now connected with the backyard garden.
The brief, almost contradictory, called for an open, light-heavy home, with private spaces to retreat to in times of solitude. The open plan hybrid living and dining room has been intersected by a wet area and is funnelled by two hallways, furthering the idea of intimacy. A skillion roof was made possible through terracing the site to the rear, with the ceiling height of the mezzanine increased, which offers a feeling of luxury when compared to the narrow nature of the site. The audacious nature of the roof is kept concealed when viewing from the street due to the topography of the block itself.
The material selection is minimalistic and robust, in a bid to extend the feeling of warmth. Clerestory windows allow for an influx of light, with joinery utilised as a sort of spatial boundary. The entire home has benefitted by the work of Placement on behalf of the client, with the home holding a perception of luxury or sanctuary depending on the space one sits within.
