Outwardly Embracing – House in the Park by Facet Studio

Reconsidering the relationship between our built homes and the existing urban landscape, House in the Park embraces its enviable proximity to a park. Facet Studio recalibrates an anticipated approach by focusing outward to bring keen connections to the surrounding context, which become a direct extension of the home.

Centrally located in inner Sydney, House in the Park nestles into its Camperdown locale as an open embrace of its surrounding urban context. A process of discovery leads the team to redirect their focus away from the originally planned inward and introspective vision within the confines of the site itself and instead out toward the adjacent park. As its name suggests, the home aims to draw a keen focus both visually and spatially on the park and ensuring the resulting spaces are reminded of that key connection. As a holistic process, Facet Studio reimagines the architecture, interiors and landscape design as a fully realised capture, ensuring each contributing element represents a shared approach. In both a renovation and extension effort, the resulting home becomes a conversation between the built elements, the natural and the importance of that connection.

The importance of the connection to the natural is a message conveyed throughout.

Built by Ken Ho Building Services, House in the Park sits as an object of sorts within its context. This approach meant that instead of calibrating a site as merely the contents within its bounding edges, the team chose to look further afield and ensure their work would form part of a bigger conversation about architecture and the engagement of the urban realm. These surrounding elements then act as an extension of the home and are seen as useable shared spaces for its residents, further opening discussions about community and shared public outdoor amenity. As a reinforcement of this connection, gestures such as the planted living wall sitting along the boundary create a captured framework within which the house sits.

The importance of the connection to the natural is a message conveyed throughout. In the select materiality of timber joinery, doors and furniture and the textural brick flooring, there is a deliberate reminder of the undulations and patterning that occur in nature, which are brought into the interior experience of the home. The use of other robust materials such as polished concrete and natural stone ensure a longevity and endurance needed within a family home, particularly one that is encouraged to be lived in so openly. Views out have all been curated to ensure connections to the park from as many rooms as possible.

As a reinforcement of this connection, gestures such as the planted living wall sitting along the boundary create a captured framework within which the house sits.

House in the Park was born from an introspective enhancement of the traditional family home. Through looking broadly afield, Facet Studio has created a unique home that sits as an exemplar of an embrace of the urban context.