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| Archicentre House |
| A feature home designed by architects. |
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Our House visits a demonstration home that shows how, using architectural design and planning, renovators can combine modern and traditional styles in their designs. It also demonstrates the design skills of the modern-day architect.
Archicentre is the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Advisory Service. Two years ago they purchased a turn-of-the-century free-standing workers cottage in the inner-west of Sydney. Abandoned for many years, the house was in an appalling state but it had great renovation potential. The idea was for Archicentre to renovate the house and turn it into a “demonstration home” according to Jeff Deviesseux, state manager of Archicentre. They specifically chose this house because it would allow them to demonstrate the architectural and building challenges of buying older properties in the inner city.
The property consists of a rectangular block with a north / south orientation. The existing building was a brick cottage, with heritage conservation value, in a street of Victorian terraces and cottages. An Archicentre inspection identified a range of building faults typical of older homes. The property had many structural problems, the foundations were “moving”, many of the floor joists were rotted or non-existent, walls displayed structural cracking, and the fireplaces had no support structure beneath them. In addition, there was the problem of illegal plumbing and building work that had been carried out in the 1970s, together with extensive termite damage. Archicentre purchased the house at auction for $285,000.
In 1997, Archicentre held a design competition for alterations and additions to this building. The competition brief requested that architects put forward design proposals, ($180,000 budget), to create a “new” 3 bedroom family home, incorporating the existing 3-storey Victorian dwelling.
While showcasing architectural skills, the demonstration home was also designed to highlight the quality and diversity of Australian products. The design had to use all Australian materials and appliances. (According to the Industrial Supplies Office, every $1 million worth of building products made in Australia represents 22 full-time Australian jobs).
It took 2 years to complete the renovation, which retained the front section of the existing cottage in a Victorian style. Some of the features of this section include a cottage garden at the front, an entrance hallway with ornate ceilings and polished floorboards, an open fireplace in the front sitting room and a stylish day bed in the bedroom.
The middle section of the house features a modern, open plan design, with a feature stairway intended as a “work of art” and an ultra-modern bathroom. The back of the house showcases “90s style” open living / dining and kitchen area, using a combination of pale timbers, stainless steel and honed concrete blocks. The upper level showcases a contemporary building style, with 2 bedrooms linked by a bridge and a roof deck with open views. Louvered glass is used throughout for additional comfort and convenience. The home is complemented by an ornate Japanese garden at the rear.
The design of the house complements the existing streetscape, and creates a transition between the 2-storey houses at the northern end of the street and the single-storey cottages to the south.
Why use an architect?
An architect undergoes five years of university study, followed by at least one year of practical work with a qualified architect before taking the examination to register. A knowledge of planning issues, energy efficiency and economy of construction is implemented through practical application. Although anyone can draw up house plans and submit them for council approval, an architect takes responsibility for the plans and designs. In the case of home renovations, Archicentre is notified of many problem sites where cost-cutting in the planning stage ends up costing the owners more in the future.
Hiring an architect will cost anything between 10%-15% of the total construction costs. For that you can expect the architect to handle all aspects of design, choice of building materials, working drawings, the tendering of builders, supervising the work while it’s under construction and checking all the builder’s accounts and paperwork.
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More Info
For more information on Archicentre’s demonstration home, or to book an appointment, Ph: (02) 9555 5111.
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Disclaimer
All Fact Sheets and other material on the Our House website are provided as a general information service only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of a properly qualified tradesman. Neither ninemsn nor its licensors (including the Nine Network) assume or accept any responsibility for, and will not be liable for the accuracy or appropriate application of any information whatsoever in any Fact Sheet or other material on the Our House web site. Your use of the Our House web site is governed by this disclaimer and the ninemsn's Terms of Use.
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