Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: A Sensitive Renovation for an Expressive Modernist House
This striking and considered update does justice to the life approach shared by the original architect and the current owners
Kevin Borland was an influential post-war Australian architect who believed architecture was an immersive experience, and he worked to the motto that architecture is not for the faint-hearted. Chamfer House is a fine example of Borland’s approach to design, and it has undergone a sensitive renovation via the skill of architects Warwick Mihaly and Erica Slocombe of Mihaly Slocombe.
“From a design point of view, coming to understand Borland’s approach to architecture, and then adapting our own design process to his philosophy, was an exciting challenge,” says Mihaly. “Our intervention assumed a strategy of sensitive infiltration. We touched every room, some more heavily than others, yet retained the house’s core personality: the romantic rationalism that characterised much of Borland’s later work.”
“From a design point of view, coming to understand Borland’s approach to architecture, and then adapting our own design process to his philosophy, was an exciting challenge,” says Mihaly. “Our intervention assumed a strategy of sensitive infiltration. We touched every room, some more heavily than others, yet retained the house’s core personality: the romantic rationalism that characterised much of Borland’s later work.”
The current residents bought the house in 2011 and approached Mihaly Slocombe to update it while protecting the timber structure and outstanding features. “They loved the house and wanted to preserve its character, but also recognised the need to renovate it to suit their family and lifestyle,” says Mihaly.
The house was typical of Borland’s late residential style, often referred to as romantic rationalism. Borland used post-and-beam construction, timber linings, a strict 5 x 5-metre grid and loose triangular geometry to create a layout that was imbued with warmth, serendipity and expression.
Playing on Borland’s ideas of expressed structure and materials, Mihaly and Slocombe designed timber screening around the top of the spiral stairs, pictured here, which glows like a lantern at night and casts shadows across the floor.
The house was typical of Borland’s late residential style, often referred to as romantic rationalism. Borland used post-and-beam construction, timber linings, a strict 5 x 5-metre grid and loose triangular geometry to create a layout that was imbued with warmth, serendipity and expression.
Playing on Borland’s ideas of expressed structure and materials, Mihaly and Slocombe designed timber screening around the top of the spiral stairs, pictured here, which glows like a lantern at night and casts shadows across the floor.
“Unlike many of our other renovation projects where we chop off the back of the house and build anew, the Chamfer House project touched every room,” Mihaly says. Indeed, it proved a challenge not just for the architects but also for their builders, Basis Builders. “They were constantly having to interact their perfectly straight and true work with warped timbers and angled walls. We collaborated substantially with the builders during construction to devise details that would overcome each of these issues.”
Mihaly and Slocombe designed the house to last the residents 20 years plus. “They wanted the house to become a relaxed family home that can readily entertain family and friends, with zoned areas for living and work,” says Mihaly.
The steeply sloping site enabled an upside-down layout with living rooms on the first floor and bedrooms underneath. “The ground floor is almost entirely new,” says Mihaly. “In contrast, the first floor is almost entirely existing. We kept the original roof and beautiful timber ceilings, most of the original windows, walls and exterior linings. All of the internal joinery and screening is new, as are internal floor and wall linings.”
Decode Heavy Pendant: ECC Lighting; Revolution ceiling fan: Hunter Pacific International
The steeply sloping site enabled an upside-down layout with living rooms on the first floor and bedrooms underneath. “The ground floor is almost entirely new,” says Mihaly. “In contrast, the first floor is almost entirely existing. We kept the original roof and beautiful timber ceilings, most of the original windows, walls and exterior linings. All of the internal joinery and screening is new, as are internal floor and wall linings.”
Decode Heavy Pendant: ECC Lighting; Revolution ceiling fan: Hunter Pacific International
The kitchen is situated on the first floor and separates the two living spaces, which have been designed specifically for use by either the adults or children. “A key part of our master plan strategy was to locate both the adults and kids’ living rooms upstairs. This enabled the two living areas to flow into one another when needed, or to be shut off with a big pivoting wall panel otherwise.” The pivoting wall panel is visible to the right-hand side of the kitchen.
The children’s living room contains a bookshelf, reading nook and study bench for after-school study. Having visited the house since the owners moved back in, Mihaly recalls one particular visit just as the children returned home from school…
“Without even thinking or talking about it, they went to the fridge to retrieve snacks, which they ate in the swimming pool enclosure,” says Mihaly. “Then, they retreated to their study bench to do their homework, all before flopping on the couch in the reading nook to relax. It was great to see how well the house supported their daily activities and revealed to us how well it now merges with their lifestyle.”
A home office next to the children’s living space has plenty of built-in storage with blackwood timber benchtops and joinery.
Hycraft Carramar carpet: Godfrey Hirst; blackwood timber benchtops: Finer Timber Doors
Hycraft Carramar carpet: Godfrey Hirst; blackwood timber benchtops: Finer Timber Doors
Taking their cues from Borland and the original house, Mihaly says, “we sought to build on the juxtaposition of structural rationality and romanticism, layering a rational spatial sequence with an exploded interpretation of Chamfer House, a device used regularly by Borland.” This ‘explosion’ is evident in the three-dimensional forms throughout the house, such as the repetitive triangular motifs in the custom joinery and on the ceiling.
It can also be seen in the faceted balcony soffit composed of cement-sheet cladding that frames the view of the garden from the master bedroom.
The angular theme continues, repeated in the windows of the bathroom.
The contemporary material palette reflects the original house; there’s still lots of timber, stone and concrete. “We usually like to keep colour out of our work, to allow our clients to fill the house with their own changing personalities,” Mihaly explains. “Where we do want some colour, we use natural materials to achieve the desired effect.”
This includes silvertop ash timber-lining boards for warmth, and bluestone floor tiles for cool utility, as evident in the ensuite and laundry. Burnished concrete benchtops also provide a beautifully smooth yet hard-wearing finish.
Silvertop ash timber ceilings: Radial Timber Sales; honed bluestone floor tiles: CDK Stone; burnished concrete benchtops: Harris Design Concrete
This includes silvertop ash timber-lining boards for warmth, and bluestone floor tiles for cool utility, as evident in the ensuite and laundry. Burnished concrete benchtops also provide a beautifully smooth yet hard-wearing finish.
Silvertop ash timber ceilings: Radial Timber Sales; honed bluestone floor tiles: CDK Stone; burnished concrete benchtops: Harris Design Concrete
The architects ensured each living space and bedroom opens directly onto an outdoor area. Upstairs, the main living room leads onto the balcony and the kids’ living room leads to the pool enclosure, while all the bedrooms downstairs open onto the back garden. The swimming pool is actually part of the intriguing story of the property, being gifted to Graham Kennedy by Channel Nine.
Chamfer House is set within an established garden and, in addition to retaining as much of the existing house as possible, the dwelling notches up green points for insulated roofs, walls and floors; double-glazed windows; a solar panel array and solar hot water system. Mihaly and Slocombe sourced materials from local and eco-sensitive suppliers wherever possible. “We made extensive use of sustainably sourced, renewable Australian hardwoods like spotted gum (screening, veneers), blackwood (benchtops) and silvertop ash (ceilings),” says Mihaly.
In addition to Chamfer House, the Frankston South area contains a number of Mid-Century Modernist houses designed by notable architects. “We were quite aware of our responsibility to honour this history on Chamfer House,” Mihaly says. And certainly they succeeded, with their skilful and considered work recognised by the local council.
It recently conducted a survey of Modernist houses in the area, with the intention of creating a new heritage overlay type that protects these houses where they’re either entirely original or sensitively renovated. “Their conclusion was that we’ve done the latter,” says Mihaly, “and it has recommended the house for unique protection. Chamfer House is unlike any of our other work. It is powerfully and thoroughly influenced by Borland’s design and we feel proud that we’ve done justice to such a wonderful example of the master’s architecture.”
TELL US
How do you like the angular look of this Modernist family home? What do you think of the renovation? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
It recently conducted a survey of Modernist houses in the area, with the intention of creating a new heritage overlay type that protects these houses where they’re either entirely original or sensitively renovated. “Their conclusion was that we’ve done the latter,” says Mihaly, “and it has recommended the house for unique protection. Chamfer House is unlike any of our other work. It is powerfully and thoroughly influenced by Borland’s design and we feel proud that we’ve done justice to such a wonderful example of the master’s architecture.”
TELL US
How do you like the angular look of this Modernist family home? What do you think of the renovation? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here: A couple, their two high-school-aged daughters, and scruffy white dog, Ruby
Location: Frankston South, Victoria
Size: 270 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Architect: Mihaly Slocombe
Year completed: 2015
Awards: Commendation for Residential Architecture (Alterations & Additions), Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Chapter Awards 2016
Sitting within an established garden overlooking Port Phillip Bay, this home has an interesting past. Australian showbiz personality Graham Kennedy originally owned the land and occupied a small cottage where Chamfer House now sits. In 1969, he sold the property to chemist Denis Hildebrand and his wife Janice, who commissioned Borland to design a house in 1977. The Hildebrands lived in the cottage while the first floor of the new house was built on stilts above them; they then moved into the first floor, while their cottage was demolished and the ground floor built.