Geometrically Playful – Summit House by Architecture Architecture

Words by Bronwyn Marshall
Photography by Tom Ross

Taking inspiration from its original late modernist bones, Summit House sees the renovation and addition works enact a deliberate and contextually-refreshing offering. Architecture Architecture brings a geometrically playful approach, layered with muted colours and a contemporary palette.

Located in Malvern, in Melbourne’s inner south-east, Summit House is set amongst an array of other modernist and heritage homes. Architecture Architecture’s renovation and addition works, in particular the curving roof structure and lightweight supporting steel sub-structure, take heed from their preceding modernist parts. Affectionately named after the peaked elevation of the addition, summits appear as both an articulation of the façade and an opportunity to provide moments of interest internally while extending the ability to capture light upward, without affecting the overall mass. These interventions combine to propose a home of interesting and well-conceived moments.

The focus of the new work was to retain and celebrate the existing elements with as much integrity as possible.

In collaboration with Sinjen Group, who built Summit House, the focus of the new work was to retain and celebrate the existing elements with as much integrity as possible. As part of the efforts to combine with the original, a curved glass wall was inserted to connect to the side garden and invite natural light inward. The subtlety of this gesture not only mirrors flow of movement throughout the home, but almost encourages a compression within the combined living, kitchen and dining, promoting a dialogue with the landscape.

Externally, the use of expressed aluminium-framed full-height glazing helps emphasise the form and create a visual connection to the surrounding landscape. Together with sheeted metal, timber allows for dappled light to filter inward where the new and old are divided through a slight separation of volume to express their form. Sitting as a glowing box, the lower level is awash with light at night, and the semi-opaque cladding allowing the volume to be illuminated to indicate occupancy.

In collaboration with Sinjen Group, who built Summit House, the focus of the new work was to retain and celebrate the existing elements with as much integrity as possible.

Affectionately named after the peaked elevation of the addition, summits appear as both an articulation of the façade and an opportunity to provide moments of interest internally while extending the ability to capture light upward, without affecting the overall mass.

As part of the efforts to combine with the original, a curved glass wall was inserted to connect to the side garden and invite natural light inward.

Summit House utilises a play on geometry not just externally, but internally as an extension of the original modernist principles of the home. While the summit structure and existing curve roofline are of different formalities, their slightness and use of materiality speaks to a united approach to architectural language. Internally the use of muted colour and the introduction of colour blocking and a contemporary approach to finished and fixtures, the light timber and select furniture offer a perfect backdrop for the modern home.

Architecture Architecture proposes clean lines and a considered approach to materiality that connects to the original design features, expressing the new through a playful, geometric and refreshing lens.

Summit House utilises a play on geometry not just externally, but internally as an extension of the original modernist principles of the home.

While the summit structure and existing curve roofline are of different formalities, their slightness and use of materiality speaks to a united approach to architectural language.