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- area:
195 sqm
Year:
2021
manufacturer: Betty, Fisher & Paykel, artemis, Astra Walker, Australian wood products, Bloom, CLA lighting, more, Glennon Tile, plaster, James Hardy, Lysit, Mr. Layer and Wood, Mitsubishi, National Masonry Association, Nomi, polished concrete design, Rockcott Qrender, Made in SF, ivy-
Chief Architect:
John Elway
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Text description provided by the architect. Cascade House is an early 1900s log house located on the west side of one of Paddington’s many hills. As a house for a family of five, their mission was to provide a place for the children to play independently, but within easy reach. The extension will be a place for gatherings and games. Key to their mission is to provide a place to picnic on the grass, under the trees and in the sky. The challenge was to connect to the ground on a sloping site and protect it from the afternoon sun.
The result is minimal intervention in the cabin. Only the rear “slope roof” was rebuilt, partly to manage the budget and partly because its hardwood fabric was perfectly fine. Four meter high changes throughout the site, breaking up the entrance sequence into a series of split levels, modulate this topography and create spaces of pause as you move to higher ground. From the sidewalk level where bikes, strollers and cars are parked, you can ascend to the entrance to the restaurant and courtyard. Screen doors slide into the garden, creating an uninterrupted connection with the grassy courtyard. The kitchen is at the end of this level, facing the lounge above, with a window to the south overlooking the swimming pool. Children can swim under supervision. The waterline is located below the bench and becomes a continuation of the room. Afternoon sunlight reflects off the water onto the sloping ceiling above.
One meter further up is the lounge. This is the new center of the house. Built-in seating reduces the building footprint. One question we get asked over and over is, what is the minimum size of a room to reduce costs and materials and maximize views? Sitting here, you can see through the central courtyard to the street beyond, down to the dining area where you can create social connections while the family cooks, and up to the cottage’s balcony and bedrooms. Changes in grade govern privacy, with the cabin being the most private. Bedrooms inside can be messy. Implicit permission needs to be obtained before inviting visitors to proceed any further.
There are wider community and streetscape advantages to not building houses. The house remains connected to the street, encouraging interaction with neighbors and passive surveillance. The wide but shallow site allowed the addition to be placed on the side of the cabin. Working with a talented garden designer is crucial to creating a landscape that reinforces this separation. The cottage still sits as proudly on the street as it has for a hundred years.
The key to unlocking the project’s graphics was managing the western afternoon sun without losing the view. With the site sloping, there was an opportunity to simply extend the slope of the balcony roof over the stacked split levels below. These spaces are protected from the afternoon sun by a roof covered with solar panels and a solid wall to the west. Across the connecting corridor, the new extension is positioned below eye level, editing the foreground and allowing uninterrupted views of the sunset, valley and hills.
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