ABOUT THE PROJECT

This property is relatively recent build in the heart of an otherwise largely heritage area, with some unusual quirks that belie its 1990s origins. While the internal spaces function well, the landscape was tired and uninspired, featuring a prosaic external laundry and heavy use of terracotta quarry tiles. OUTHOUSE produced a concept design that revitalised the outdoor areas, refusing to allow a single precious square metre to go to waste.

The original front entrance steps were reimagined into a smart, contemporary configuration that pulls visitors into the home, instead of sending them down the narrow side passage. Modular stone paving continued a material connection from the front entrance down the side, making use of the random sizes to create stepstones with movement and play surrounded by soft, lush planting, to a raised garden outside the dining area.

An existing glass sliding door makes this space a critical view from the inside, and custom fabricated pots in a dark powdercoat allow for planting at eye level and above to create a visual focal point.

The stepstones again become paving in the rear yard, where the existing steps up to the garage are rebuilt to allow for built-in seating for a flexible dining and lounging area for intimate gatherings. The external laundry is converted into an outdoor kitchen in materials tieing in with the broader landscape.