Unexpected Contrasts – Sandringham House by Ellul Architecture

Concealed behind its private façade, Sandringham House sits as an open and connected family home. Ellul Architecture focuses on creating key connections between the inside and out, proposing an idyllic and quiet reprieve from the outside world.

Built by Jada Homes, together with landscape design by Kangaroo Paw, Sandringham House replaces an existing 1950s home with a more considered and integrated resolution. Learning from previous failings and how the preceding dwelling fell into disrepair, the new is proposed as an engaged family home, privately positioned along the street whilst generously opening throughout the interior. As a recessive backdrop to the established tree to the front of the site, the form is cloaked in a darkened veil of textures and tones that offer a balance to the natural elements. The proposal works harmoniously with the surrounding natural elements, seeing landscape tell a key part of the home’s story and Ellul Architecture create a sense of generosity and calm.

The proposal works harmoniously with the surrounding natural elements, seeing landscape tell a key part of the home’s story and Ellul Architecture create a sense of generosity and calm.

As a family home, the shell and its comprising materials needed to align with a level of resilience whilst also being time wearing, comfortable and welcoming for all its occupants. Becoming a canvas, the home needed an inbuilt amount of flexibility to allow for adjustments in the years to come, still retaining the essence of the original home in its form. The contrast created from the offset – with the dark outer shell and surprisingly light interior – ensures a sense of protection is created internally. The home feels deliberately removed from the street and surrounds; the way the structure engages with the natural elements further adds to that feeling of transportation.

As a single-storey residence, the select materiality reflects a consciousness of durability and sustainability for its owners. Although a budget conscious resolve, the result does not feel compromised and instead feels intentional and aligned with a core philosophy of calm. Throughout, the home sees integrated systems to reduce the overall energy footprint, whilst orientation and the strategic positioning of openings allow for passive cooling and solar capture and control throughout the seasons. Taking inspiration from its deeply natural connection, the interior palette brings in similar grey and green tones as a continuation of the landscape in a more structured way. The same clean and linear approach established through the exterior is then carried internally, as integrated joinery, portals and spaces all share a similar alignment.

Taking inspiration from its deeply natural connection, the interior palette brings in similar grey and green tones as a continuation of the landscape in a more structured way.

Through expert restraint, Sandringham House emerges as a place of refined calm. Ellul Architecture has created a home of lasting fortitude, responding to the site, the landscape and to the owners of the home.