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Pro Spotlight: Design a Home That Embraces the Seasons
Plan a home that responds to the seasons and you’ll love it all year round, an architect says
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Who: Mel Zugai and Lisa Strudwick of Zugai Strudwick Architects
Where: Wickham, New South Wales
In her own words: “The concept of designing for the seasons is an extension of the idea of the inside and outside being quite seamless. Blur the lines, bring the outside in, then do the reverse.”
A well-designed house should see you build wealth into your home over the long term, architect Lisa Strudwick says. “People can fall into the trap of ‘seasonal amnesia’ – designing only for the season they’re in,” says Strudwick, co-founder of Zugai Strudwick Architects, which she opened in 2002 with Mel Zugai. “We aim to consider the elements throughout the seasons – environmental, functional, orientation, how you move through the spaces – if we get this right, the house won’t have to work hard; you can paint it any colour and people will say ‘wow’.”
Where: Wickham, New South Wales
In her own words: “The concept of designing for the seasons is an extension of the idea of the inside and outside being quite seamless. Blur the lines, bring the outside in, then do the reverse.”
A well-designed house should see you build wealth into your home over the long term, architect Lisa Strudwick says. “People can fall into the trap of ‘seasonal amnesia’ – designing only for the season they’re in,” says Strudwick, co-founder of Zugai Strudwick Architects, which she opened in 2002 with Mel Zugai. “We aim to consider the elements throughout the seasons – environmental, functional, orientation, how you move through the spaces – if we get this right, the house won’t have to work hard; you can paint it any colour and people will say ‘wow’.”
Design for living. “We like to help people unlock how they’d like to live in a home,” says Strudwick, who cites good listening as one of the most important skills to develop as an architect. According to Strudwick, a big part of her job is to help her clients understand what’s going to be important to them in their homes now and in the future – this can range from planning the right layout and flow, to building in specific, functional spaces. “The process is intimate,” she says, “the first person someone tells when they’re pregnant during a renovation is usually us!”
Beyond the view. Think of your home as a “tapestry of spaces” all connected together to form a journey through your house, Strudwick says. “If you have just one key room, you just make one statement,” she says. There may be a room with an excellent view you want to make the most out of, but it might not be the best space in the house to bring light in. We like to create a rich plan of different rooms you can enjoy for a whole host of different reasons. For example, creating an internal courtyard with different plants and microclimates that makes the most of the orientation, and in which you can celebrate the seasons.
For expert ways to create a home that embraces the natural elements, follow Strudwick’s tips below.
For expert ways to create a home that embraces the natural elements, follow Strudwick’s tips below.
1. Think About Your Layout
According to Strudwick, the heart of good design is layout and to achieve that, initial planning is key. “We have a conversation with our clients about what they do when they get up in the morning,” Strudwick says. “Do they read a paper and want to benefit from the morning sun where they read it?” To achieve this, Strudwick has to think about how the house responds to its environment – where does the sun come up, where are breezes coming from, what structures are already in place and how does this fit in with their lifestyle.
This home in Bellevue Hill, for example, was a collection of closed spaces. The design team worked to open it up, shifting a large staircase and adding a lightwell to bring in more natural light. They then created courtyards and voids to bring extra light into the depth of the floor plan, and to extend the outdoor living space into private garden pockets protected from the winter winds.
See more of this project
According to Strudwick, the heart of good design is layout and to achieve that, initial planning is key. “We have a conversation with our clients about what they do when they get up in the morning,” Strudwick says. “Do they read a paper and want to benefit from the morning sun where they read it?” To achieve this, Strudwick has to think about how the house responds to its environment – where does the sun come up, where are breezes coming from, what structures are already in place and how does this fit in with their lifestyle.
This home in Bellevue Hill, for example, was a collection of closed spaces. The design team worked to open it up, shifting a large staircase and adding a lightwell to bring in more natural light. They then created courtyards and voids to bring extra light into the depth of the floor plan, and to extend the outdoor living space into private garden pockets protected from the winter winds.
See more of this project
2. Be Clever With Materials
By being smart about the materials and technology you use, you can still have a rustic, natural space that’s functional. Strudwick recommends investing in double glazing to reduce heat loss during winter and heat gain during summer, and installing both heating and air con to keep your home comfortable throughout the year.
“Consider add-on systems like underfloor heating,” says Strudwick, “nowadays buyers are looking for houses that have this, so it is an investment.” In this Newtown bathroom, the client wanted rock flooring to create a rustic spa-inspired retreat, Strudwick added underfloor heating and fitted a large window on the north-facing side that opens out to the elements. “Technology can be there without it being in your face,” she says.
See more of this project
By being smart about the materials and technology you use, you can still have a rustic, natural space that’s functional. Strudwick recommends investing in double glazing to reduce heat loss during winter and heat gain during summer, and installing both heating and air con to keep your home comfortable throughout the year.
“Consider add-on systems like underfloor heating,” says Strudwick, “nowadays buyers are looking for houses that have this, so it is an investment.” In this Newtown bathroom, the client wanted rock flooring to create a rustic spa-inspired retreat, Strudwick added underfloor heating and fitted a large window on the north-facing side that opens out to the elements. “Technology can be there without it being in your face,” she says.
See more of this project
3. Listen to Your Landscape
Strudwick believes that a custom home needs to respond to the built environment and the external environment – it needs to appear as though it’s meant to be there. “We work with the shape of the land and what’s there on the land,” Strudwick says. “Spaces that aren’t technically construction can make a home feel better – the landscape is already there, plants can build a room.”
The eat-in kitchen in this Sydney cottage was kept neutral to let the garden view burst into the room via a large window, and the outlook pour out of it. “Draw people outside and they will embrace the seasons,” she says.
See more of this project
More: For more information and examples of the company’s designs, visit Zugai Strudwick’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
Strudwick believes that a custom home needs to respond to the built environment and the external environment – it needs to appear as though it’s meant to be there. “We work with the shape of the land and what’s there on the land,” Strudwick says. “Spaces that aren’t technically construction can make a home feel better – the landscape is already there, plants can build a room.”
The eat-in kitchen in this Sydney cottage was kept neutral to let the garden view burst into the room via a large window, and the outlook pour out of it. “Draw people outside and they will embrace the seasons,” she says.
See more of this project
More: For more information and examples of the company’s designs, visit Zugai Strudwick’s Houzz profile.
This story was written by the Houzz Sponsored Content team.
With over 25 years of experience, Zugai Strudwick Architects (ZSA) has offices in both Sydney and Newcastle... Read More
Review by Ashley Parmenter:
Can highly recommend ZSA. Our project was the demolition of a previous single level extension which was poorly built and replacing it with a new two level extension. We wanted our new living space to ...More