Courtyard House

by Youssofzay and Hart Architects

From The Architect

Courtyard House is an addition to an existing single storey brick house. Located at the edge of a suburb and adjoining a lake reserve, the new addition, in its form and materiality, honours the local housing typology.

The new addition is a slim brick pavilion inserted at the rear of an existing house defining a courtyard. Generous openings frame views and capture ample daylight with large sections of the facade sliding away to promote connectedness with the garden setting and the bush beyond.

Additions to the existing house also include a chimney with an outdoor hearth facing the courtyard, and a window nook to the front garden, all formed with recycled brick.

While the materiality and colours reference the typical suburban brick house, architecturally we have reimagined the planning. The new house acts as a garden pavilion, with interiors that open up completely. The work of architect Geoffrey Bawa was a reference point during concept development with the client, demonstrating how interiors of a home can merge with courtyards, gardens and an
experience of the landscape.

The design fulfills an ambitious criteria for ecologically sustainable design as well as seamlessly incorporating rated construction for bushfire protection on a hazard zoned site.