Highgate Hill Residence
A House is an Environmental Filter
Richard Kirk Architects have a great interest in the role that well made buildings play in the communities and environments they intend to serve (richardkirkarchitect.com, 2011). This is a key concept in allowing a building to become an environmental filter. “The steepness of the rectangular site has resulted in a verdant and mature landscape consisting of a mixture of native and exotics, which created the opportunity to place the house within a rich landscape environment (Australian Institute Of Architects, 2011).” The client expressed desire to connect the house to an outdoor ground plane allowing a filter that blurs the line between outdoor and indoor (Australian Institute Of Architects, 2011). Richard Kirk Architects said to the Australian Institute Of Architects (2011):
“The upper level of the northern walls have a facade of glazed vertical timber mullions, or sticks - which open the interior to the landscape and the filtered northern light through the tree canopy’s. To integrate the landscape with the living spaces on the middle level, the external openings are of a significant scale so that the internal floor plate opens up completely to the outdoor spaces that consist of a series of floating platforms of constructed ground planes of timber decking or turf.”
It is obvious that this house has been designed with the environment in mind, the outdoor areas totally effect the internals; but with smart design the outdoors can be shut off. There is a void within the house that acts as a spacial device to orient and extenuate the verticality of the tall trees outside (Cleary, 2010). In response to the dominance of the landscape, the house is entirely clad in timber and uses timber glazed facade systems where each species is selected to age in response to its orientation and weathering (Cleary, 2010). This house has smart technology behind it in the materials used, this aides the building to blend with the surrounding environment and allows the building to filter on a variety of scales; from an wide open scale to a totally closed of one.
A House is a Container Of Human Activities
“The practice has a deep interest in developing construction methods and material knowledge to produce unique buildings that respond directly to each client, brief and circumstance (richardkirkarchitect.com, 2011).” We can see that it is one of the practices base standards to design for the client. The house is designed in such a way that the upper level hovers over the ground plane as a protective canopy (Australian Institute Of Architects, 2011). In the book 21st Century Houses: Downunder, Cleary (2010) states:
“The rectangular form of the house is organized over three levels with the middle level containing living and dining spaces and also the point of entry from the street. The upper level contains all the bedrooms and a void that is located over the dining area. The lower level contains a guest room and a media space.”
The void within the house separates bedrooms of the parents and children (Cleary, 2010). We can see that this design has catered for a large family and is well organized so various activities do not interfere with each-other. Spaces are put in locations with meaning, the stair within the void being an important organizational reference between the levels and spaces; it’s form visually links them (Australian Institute Of Architects, 2011).
A House is a Delightful Experience
“With each project we work to make evocative places and buildings that are memorable and that are clearly legible in terms of how they are specially organized and constructed (richardkirkarchitect.com, 2011).”
This house is designed for the client, it is a direct response to the landscape and the brief; when taking into consideration all the specific design needs and wants it is hard to design non delightful architecture. Richard Kirk Architects pride them selves on there efforts in the planning process, attention to detail, and an intimate approach during construction; and this is why they create fine architecture at every scale (richardkirkarchitect.com, 2011). They have the ability to work with materials to provide a mood that is essential to there architecture. A notable feature in the Highgate Hill Residence; in the more intimate areas of the dwelling the materials and detailing are deliberately fine and diminutive (Australian Institute Of Architects, 2011), smaller spaces subtly demand finer materials where the detailing can be appreciated.
