L-house

by Alexander Symes Architect

Perched in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, this house designed by Alexander Symes Architects is a contemporary design influenced by the surrounding natural landscape of the Australian bushlands.

Previously a project home and only partially completed in 2003, the new owners of the house; a young couple, have worked with architects to design a thermally comfortable family home made with natural materials to create a luxurious yet cosy vibe throughout each space.

Originally the client wished to maintain the two existing pavilions of the house, one for guest accommodation and the other for ancillary spaces and create instead, a new dwelling to the east, which would increase floor space to accommodate a family and capture the surrounding bushlands and easterly views across the Sydney basin to the harbour and the city.

Architects proposed an alternative to this concept, by designing a home where the main principles were to respect the bushland at the core and reusing as much of the built form, services and structure as possible, to help reduce waste and manage costs at the same time.

From this, the re-interpretation of the existing L-house was created. By re-using the north-eastern pavilion for the parents, the house design would then flow to a new central family link. This would navigate the level changes in the landscape and connect these spaces with the existing east-wing pavilion, which houses the children’s area, an office and ancillary spaces.

This consolidation of the built form created a single eastern elevation where the sweeping views to the city skyline could be appreciated from multiple living spaces.

Conversely, the L-shaped house formed a new western entry to the property to curate the appreciation of the natural bushland setting as you enter the site.

The low window-to-wall ratio on the west enabled a celebration of the sleek zincalume cladding, whilst the simplicity and rhythm of the material provides a striking contrast to the natural bushland, with the zincalume shimmering on approach, reflecting the colours of the day.

Architects and construction teams worked in an integrated manner to manage the complexities of environmental protection, bushfire mitigation and the re-use of services and structure for the design of the L-house. And, the outcome is a highly crafted home which celebrates its natural environment and delivers a low operational energy comfortable home.

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