Pitched Paradise – Gabled House by Clayton Orszaczky
Proposing a fanciful interplay between light and space, Gabled House by Clayton Orszaczky sees a familiar silhouette take on a dynamic form. Designed for a young family, Gabled House is a home inimitably crafted to its circumstance.
Building on concepts successfully implemented in Clayton Orszaczky’s previous project Barn House, Gabled House embodies the same seamless indoor-outdoor flow and pitched roof profile, while also remaining tailored to its own unique setting and needs of its owner. A practiced coherence is realised in the work of the project team headed by Clayton Orszaczky, along with landscaping by Dangar Barin Smith and finishes and furnishings by Romy Alwill. Initially inspired by the Bondi home of William Dangar, Founder of Dangar Barin Smith, the resulting structure of Gabled House is simple though striking, its form characterised by the archetypal gabled roof that feels at once referential and novel.
Basking in Perth’s bountiful sunlight, the bold street facing frontage presents a lively expression. Unfussy in echoing the classic geometry of a quintessential house form, Gabled House further plays on nostalgia in its use of simple picket fencing – its likeness is cleverly continued throughout the façade’s shutters. The pitched roofline shapes a familiar silhouette, its angular structure softened in contrast to the organic volume of plants by the front door.
Integral to the home’s design is managing light within. Grounded by textural white brickwork, the recycled masonry stretching along the east west axis underpins and informs the layout. Allowing northern sun to wash through a central courtyard, the arrangement reflects ample daylight and decorates the home with shadows thrown by shutters and palms. Countering the solid stonework’s potential to impose, rooms feel expansive due to the astute use of light finishes throughout. Apt moments of spacious reprieve are also seen in metre deep doorways that further open the space while compartmentalising it. This visual connection is maintained with an open plan living area and generous application of glass to enjoy the garden beyond.
Allowing northern sun to wash through a central courtyard, the arrangement reflects ample daylight and decorates the home with shadows thrown by shutters and palms
Salient and robust, Gabled House connects indoor and outdoor living in celebration of the coastal climate. Thermal comfort is considered with spills of sun forming a passive heat sink in winter months. Emphasis on experiential living is observed in the inclusion of multiple garden pavilions that straddle a main courtyard, while unobstructed views afforded by oversized pivot doors offer a constant reminder of connectedness to the environment.
The minimalist bleached palette is continued upstairs with the angularity of the roof profile adding internal interest. Crisp linear patterns seen in the roof panelling and master bedroom’s headboard add a delightful sense of movement. Accentuating the gable’s gentle slope is the insertion of a skylight in the bathroom that offers a sensation of open height and plentiful light to vivify the space.
