Skin Box House

by McMahon and Nerlich

An innovative solution to increasing the size of a modest house on a narrow sloping site.

The Skin Box House, located in Windsor in Victoria, was specifically designed; by architects McMahon and Nerlich, to fit a narrow sloping site without significantly impacting each space throughout the house.

With additions into the design, of a dramatic overing box, with a diaphanous polycarbonate skin and a rooftop terrace with Melbourne city views, Skin Box House reflects the many angles of light and shadow throughout the day, and reflects the city lights to glow at night; providing an ever-changing appearance to the house façade.

The conceptual and literal lightness of the materiality of the house, floats over a unified living area, and garden below, creating a relationship between the garden and the living area; and transforming these spaces into a secret city haven, unbeknown to the outside world.

Retention of the surrounding birch trees was also included into the new design of the house, providing a conceptual grounding to the garden experience.

With new internal and external timber linings to ceiling, joinery, fencing and insertions; together with a fully glazed wall, the barrier between the interior and exterior is dissolved, creating a generous and conceptually complex indoor-outdoor space, unique to an urban dwelling; so close to the city.

Photography by Superk Photo.

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