Emphasising the Familiar – Picket House by Austin Maynard Architects

Exuding a strong presence in its corner positioning, the exterior of Picket House is wrapped in the congenial and familiar. Austin Maynard Architects navigates the challenge of refreshing a historic home and working with the sloping site by reconfiguring volumes – analysing how they intersect with each other and the terrain.

Wrapped in timber, the originally Edwardian house is given a new life with an extension, taking inspiration from the materiality of its origins for the home’s coming chapters. Combining both the crafted nature of the existing home and extracting the metaphor of the picket fence as a symbol of both stability and protection, the resulting home honours its past iterations. Located in Melbourne, the home is positioned at the higher end of a sloping site and, through careful intervention, an existing lean-to structure is removed. A two-storey addition to the rear animates the form though its role in opening up the home to funnel movement through to the shared living areas.

Wrapped in timber, the originally Edwardian house is given a new life with an extension, taking inspiration from the materiality of its origins for the home’s coming chapters.

The reworking of Picket House sees the introduction of natural light and realises multiple opportunities to connect beyond the built envelope and out into the surrounding landscape. Bringing light in from above and allowing for natural ventilation, the living space sits within a generous volume and fosters a connection to the natural elements. Creating a defined sense of separation, the upper level houses a multi-functional space with access to an exterior terrace, allowing for indoor-outdoor living and adding to the overall quality of the space.

The rooms of the original house are reconfigured – with restoration insertions such as new roofing and upgraded amenities – to ensure the function and liveability of the home aligns with its current occupants. The new addition sits at the home’s rear, providing a gravitational space for the family to coalesce. The alterations consider the north-facing orientation of the home and take advantage of sunlight vantage points. Overlaying a considered connection between the interior and the landscape was important to how the owners saw themselves living within the home.

The reworking of Picket House sees the introduction of natural light and realises multiple opportunities to connect beyond the built envelope and out into the surrounding landscape.

Through increased access to natural light and ventilation, the experience of Picket House is elevated to the modern context whilst retaining the character of the original home. Austin Maynard Architects focuses on creating and enhancing the simplicity of family life, emulating the idea of what a house with a picket fence embodies.