Neumannhaus

The idea was to design a simple but bold extension to the existing house, and renovate the remainder throughout. The budget was lean and as a result, a straightforward strong form and expression was adopted with a limited palette of repeating elements of white walls, timber and concrete trim to convey the aesthetic. The predominant materials used are white bricks, which continue internally on the fireplace reflecting the outside within, as well as a cedar timber verandah and blackbutt hardwood floorboards. The external skillion roof forms dominate the internal spaces and include highlight windows in the voids, and are a nod to the varied mix of industrial and residential building forms and garages and outhouse

This project is the second in "A Suburban Trilogy" that the Architect has designed and built in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, which all respond to largely the same brief, that of an old double fronted Victorian house that needed to be renovated, enlarged and updated with requirements for an abundance natural light where possible. The large living area that makes up the main part of the extension provides for a single room that the young family can share and grow together unlike the old corridor living based part of the house.

The project takes on a number of passive design features which contribute to the sustainability of the project. High thermal mass materials in the high insulated brick veneer walls combined with zoned radiant panel gas heating ensures the house remains warm without loss of energy. Also deep verandah eaves prevent the extension from over heating in the summer months, and minimal air conditioning is employed. Instead, highlight windows with louvered panels allow cooling of the living areas in the evening. The front, rear and side gardens have minimal hard paving and permeable grass and garden beds dominate, keeping the rainwater on site and preventing significant runoff.

The highest quality materials have been used and the details were carefully considered and executed throughout the project.

This project is the second in "A Suburban Trilogy" that the Architect has designed and built in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, which all respond to co incidentally the same brief, that of an old double fronted Victorian house that needed to be renovated, enlarged and updated with requirements for an abundance natural light where possible. Incredibly, the project was conceived and completed within one calender year, as the project did not require Planning approval due to the land size, and therefore the design was unaffected or compromised by the Planning authorities, resulting in a more unadulterated architectural expression than is normally the case.