A Renewed Articulation of Internal Experience - Stack Street by Lineburg Wang
A modest intervention to an existing timber cottage in Brisbane, Stack Street sees Lineburg Wang instil a renewed articulation of internal experience.
Through the re-planning of internal spaces and the creation of zones via considered interventions, Lineburg Wang has reimagined the existing timber cottage. At the core of this renewed internal experience was the establishment of a clear distinction between the public and private. Through subtle mechanisms such as screening, both architectural and landscaped, connections and purposed disconnections were created. The resulting home then engages with its surroundings and context with improved purpose, and through carved-out openings offers connection to the city, sky and adjacent tree canopies.
Built by DreamBuild Homes, the house is centred on a challenging sloping site with the extension works offering a reserved two-meter addition to the existing streetscape. Paying respect to the origins of the heritage of both the home and its neighbouring context, the additional timber veil provides a sense of enclosure, while also contributing to the overall form. From within, the screen offers a sense of recluse, allowing filtered light and echoing the well-versed vernacular of the Queenslander home. While wrapping a series of private rooms, the design language offers a lightness to both form and connection between inside and out.
Addressing the client’s brief of redistributing functionality through clearer internal zoning was a priority, as was a sense of the subtlety and the economical. Utilising a lightweight construction mechanism of fibre cement cladding, veiled in timber battens reminiscent of a traditional fence structure, construction efficiencies were able to be achieved. Variation and texture were then created through the resulting quality of light and punctuations for views. The approach to palette is one of restraint, with brass detailing and warm timber on a background of soft greys.
While the threshold between interior and exterior spaces is divided by screening, the relationship to the garden space is important. Within the garden itself, the screening allows for separate zones through platforms for viewing, entertaining, active play and ancillary support. Internally, similar principles are employed. Upstairs within the double-gabled space the public areas are situated, while the extension holds the primary private areas. With upstairs housing the study, powder room, ensuite and terrace, it also sees the master suite reoccupy the original sleepout area. And on the lower level, an additional three bedrooms and more passive support spaces are located.
Stack Street embodies a subtlety in its approach to renovation and extension that works respectfully within its context and adds to the overall quality of the streetscape. The emphasis on the improved quality of internal experience helps amplify the new works, and through a restrained materials palette and a contemporary eye, the ensuing home by Lineburg Wang offers a sense of true escape.
