Inspired by Craft – Caulfield North by Pipkorn Kilpatrick
Mused by the arts and crafts gestures within the existing framework of the home, Caulfield North emerges as a refreshed and carefully crafted contemporary of its previous self. Pipkorn Kilpatrick recalibrates the interior condition to accommodate modern daily life.
Nestled within its namesake Caulfield North, the resulting home aims to capture the essence of its past and combine it with a readying for its next chapter. Connecting beyond the bounding walls, the reworking of an existing renovation allows for an addition with large openings to connect toward the rear landscape. Addressing the common and recurring issue of needing to amplify natural light within the home, the new gestures aim to open and connect beyond the original formality. A continued focus on lightness follows through to the material selections and the overall approach, binding the old and new through a neutral and calm palette. Pipkorn Kilpatrick then anchors the home through warm timber elements and natural stone.
Working within the 1980s extension and its ill-fitting elements, an open and connecting living zone is created by dissolving some of the existing formality. As its own destination of sorts, the generous and open space becomes activated as the heart of the home, somewhere to gather. Multi-functionality is a key driver of this space, allowing differing users to alter how they engage within the one zone. Built by Stevens Waters Building, Caulfield North aims to both respect the past while integrating elements of its layered narrative into the future. Crafted details and an attention to integrating natural materials follows through strongly, and they are reinterpreted in the process through a contemporary lens.
Throughout, a sense of restraint is used to lessen the transitions between old and new and to help bridge their differences. With elements such as the original stone-clad fireplace remain in place, the focus on sustainability is best expressed through a commitment to retain as much as possible of the original. Only where necessary was anything removed and replaced, alleviating excess waste and unnecessary trades on site. Sanding back and resurfacing the original timber flooring along with painting existing joinery elements were the first moves to ensure the foundation was laid for anything new to be introduced. From this pared-back base, an overall feeling of retreat is reinforced through a common materiality throughout, softened through layering.
Caulfield North becomes a lesson in sensitive adaptation. With additions highly interrogated and made only where absolutely necessary, Pipkorn Kilpatrick has crafted a home with conscience.
