Visit The Silhouette Hytte House – Book Now
Nestled on a narrow block in the quiet streets of Elwood, ‘Silhouette Hytte’ House is close to my heart, it was once my home that my partner and I purchased, then sold many years ago. The site is 34.4m long by 6.1m wide and has an East facing backyard. Presented with a number of challenging constraints such as a heritage overlay, flood overlay and close proximity of neighbouring trees, the project required a carefully considered design response to achieve the clients brief.
The brief asked for a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house with open plan living, dining, kitchen and study that needed to be practical, contemporary and complimentary within its existing context. FIGR Architecture Studio wanted the proposition to be modest and for it to respect it’s context. The familiar form and pitched roof makes reference to the existing house language, with a playful and updated appearance.
The fold in the rear elevation negotiates the close proximity of the neighbouring tree canopy which further creates a dynamic experience to the rear facade with the building changing appearance and proportion from different vantage points. Insertions into the building in the form of the black metal shrouds establish openings that relate to both visual and natural light. The basic forms allow the house to expand and retain a simplistic form. Existing bricks from the old shed/laundry have been re-used for the new backyard paving. The use of black standing seam metal cladding provides a strong contrast to the shiplapped timber boards and timber doors.
The Silhouette Hytte House is part of the The Naked Architect, which is a workshop series that arms consumers with in-depth knowledge about working with an architect on a residential renovation and/or new build. FIGR Architecture and their client invite you to step inside the doors of this project – Silhouette Hytte. Book your spot to hear them bare all about the design process and managing a budget. Visit OPEN HOUSE MELBOURNE for tickets.
Images – Tom Blachford
