SUNTRAP HOUSE

The project is to improve and expand a modest 3 bedroom ‘ex-govvie’ house to accommodate the needs of a growing family. The existing dwelling was an example of the model 3-CK-BV Standard House Unit built by the National Capital Development Commission in 1964, an ‘ex-govvie’. The central idea of the proposal was to undertake some ‘surgery’ to the existing dwelling to allow the placement of a new wing accommodating the additional living space and master bedroom, along with new carport, bike storage and garden storage. The organisation of the new spaces was to both maximise solar access to the thermally massive elements within, but also provide straight forward connections to the garden that embrace the notion of the ‘home’ occupying the entire site not just the building envelope. The approach to detailing and materials selection goes beyond the simply aesthetic but seeks to acknowledge the deeper qualities of the elements - thermal mass, structural function, connections. As such materials are left exposed and utilised to compose the spaces rather than concealed by an applied finish.