Affordable Housing Options for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Living

Photographer: Scott Hargis
Architect: building Lab Our clients were young newlyweds who purchased this property in October, 2015. They were passionate about mid-century designs and all things retro and they had grand visions for their first home. They wanted it to be a standout in the neighborhood where they could entertain family and friends in style. After a thorough whole-house remodel and expansion with structural and foundation upgrades, the homeowners, who welcomed a new member (a baby boy) to the household, are now living in a completely transformed modern beauty with sleek and comfortable interiors and spacious outdoor areas. To Open or Close? We removed some walls and created an open and enlarged kitchen. To allow for maximum connection of the kitchen/dining area to the backyard, an existing post was removed and ceiling joists were extended to connect with a structural fascia. But instead of leaving a vast amount of common areas, we coopted some of those spaces to create an additional guest room/study. The same theme of openness and definition applies to the landscape design: low walls, hardscapes, outdoor kitchen, and fire pit define spaces for cooking, al fresco dining, play, and lounging. A Dining Pod
In a bold stroke, our clients decided to forgo a formal dining area. Instead, they opted for a glorified eat-in kitchen with custom built benches and live edge waterfall table. This pod continues the strategy of capturing and articulating special areas within a large open concept. It is the core that serves myriad functions such as dining and entertaining, newspaper reading, and possible homework station in the near future. Master Pavilion A House Within A House: Instead of just expanding into the backyard horizontally, the ceiling of the newly created master suite was raised 4’. Since the addition called for reframing and building new foundations, building Lab’s designers made use of the opportunity to rethink the whole concept of this parents’ retreat. By raising the ceiling, and adding a long skylight above the head of the bed, the master bedroom is dramatically infused with natural light. The space feels expansive and tranquil, and this feeling is carried through in the master bath. The simple elegance of the master bath is achieved through both effective space planning and restrained material palettes. Most of the fixtures and cabinetry are installed on one side of this very long room. The walls on both sides are clad with Resysta®, a sustainable material made with recycled rice husks, salt, and mineral oil. The natural wood look of this cladding adds to the spa ambience and the entirely glass end wall creates a dramatic one-point perspective. All white console sink, cabinetry, and a sculptural tub complete the look.

Sim-Plex Design Studio transforms a tiny apartment into a flexible, four-bedroom home whose Zen-inspired interiors belie high-tech features.

The trapezoidal tracing of the property is what defined the construction of this house into three clearly settled volumes. Vegetation also plays a protagonist role in the design of this house, both outdoors and indoors. The exterior trees enclose the house generating distinct tons of shades and colours during the different seasons of the year. Within the interior, the unruly green vegetation, contrasts with the stone floors and solid walls, reaching a perfect sense of balance. The entrance, a double height lobby that creates contrasting sensations and distinct visual ending points originated by water mirrors, light shafts, a tree and a staircase. The walls that shape this area, divide the spaces into private and public areas. The ground floor, is organized into two blocks each with a different purpose: The left side, is a white solid cube that integrates the study and the master bedroom and is separated from the other block by a water mirror and a yard that generates the desired privacy, peace and tranquility. The right side, the social area, is a rectangle closed to the west by a rigid wall and opened towards the interior of the house through large floor to ceiling glass walls, giving sober transparency to the yard with views to the garden and the central courtyard. The different angles within the construction achieve visual ending points with great character, as well as, enhancing the sensations provoked by the pure whites that evolve into mixed tones as the day and the seasons go by.

A blank canvas to create a new family home. On this slim vacant block, perched on a Brisbane ridgeline, we were engaged to design a comfortable and homely abode with the challenge set to capture the views, traverse the sloped terrain and filter the bright sunlight. We achieved this by creating a contemporary spin on the historic Queenslander whilst layering the spaces with this multi-levelled home. The heart of the home, the Kitchen and Living areas, are positioned on the middle layer and both sleep and play zones are separated out on their own floors. Everyone in the family has their place for retreat. At every opportunity there is an opening to bring light and air into the home. Vistas to the city are harnessed, and views to the neighbours are screened with the use of dense battening. Complex planning requirements meant that the home should be contained within a set envelope. This led to opportunities to create varying floor levels and introduce pitched ceilings which provide internal volume without excessive height or overwhelm to the home’s surrounds.

One room that has become more and more central to smart homes across the globe in the last decade or two is the home office. It is technology and changing lifestyles that have allowed us to bring more and more work home with each passing day. The home office is now more than just a […]

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