Houzz Tour: Sun-Soaked Solution for Ultra-Narrow Site
A high wall on one side and a sliver of land on the other was ample space for a couple building their first home
After living for years in a small unit, architects Tim Hill and Dominique Ng dreamed of building a home of their own. With the existing derelict house demolished, so began a joyful and exhilarating journey to make the most of a small site and fill it with much-needed light. Unlike the homes they had built for clients, this time they got to enjoy the home they’d built and witness how first-time visitors reacted to it.
“What was really awesome about the house was getting to live in it through all the seasons and getting the feedback from people about the house you only get when you live in it,” says Hill of Tandem Design Studio. “That was pretty exciting.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lived here: Tim Hill and Dominique Ng, both architects
Location: Kensington, Melbourne, Victoria
Size: 148 square metres (2 bedrooms, open-plan kitchen, dining and living, study, 1 bathroom,1 ensuite, central courtyard and car port)
What’s interesting: The site is only 6 metres wide
“What was really awesome about the house was getting to live in it through all the seasons and getting the feedback from people about the house you only get when you live in it,” says Hill of Tandem Design Studio. “That was pretty exciting.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lived here: Tim Hill and Dominique Ng, both architects
Location: Kensington, Melbourne, Victoria
Size: 148 square metres (2 bedrooms, open-plan kitchen, dining and living, study, 1 bathroom,1 ensuite, central courtyard and car port)
What’s interesting: The site is only 6 metres wide
“When the builders were laying the slab they were saying ‘who’d want to live in a dark, dirty hole like this?’,” Hill recalls. “But when we built the sun shells it just brought the sun in and filled the place with light.”
The curved, timber-lined ‘sun shells’ form the roof and southern facade. The sun shells are so called because their design enables light coming in through windows to bounce so effectively around the space.
The north, east and west walls are clad in timber-framed glass and translucent polycarbonate, framing views and admitting light while preserving privacy. The window frames are made from Western red cedar, and the inside timber is a mix of Tasmanian oak and Victorian ash.
The curved, timber-lined ‘sun shells’ form the roof and southern facade. The sun shells are so called because their design enables light coming in through windows to bounce so effectively around the space.
The north, east and west walls are clad in timber-framed glass and translucent polycarbonate, framing views and admitting light while preserving privacy. The window frames are made from Western red cedar, and the inside timber is a mix of Tasmanian oak and Victorian ash.
The western sun shell, closest to the street, traverses two storeys and the living area, kitchen, dining, study, bathroom and guest bedroom. The eastern sun shell – located across the courtyard, adjacent to a laneway and above the carport – houses the master bedroom and ensuite.
Passive cross-ventilation worked well throughout the home. “There was always a gentle breeze from bottom to top,” Hill says.
Sleeping in the main bedroom at night with the windows and concertina doors open felt a little like glamping. “It felt like you were under a canopy instead of in a house. It was a great place to live,” Hill says.
Sleeping in the main bedroom at night with the windows and concertina doors open felt a little like glamping. “It felt like you were under a canopy instead of in a house. It was a great place to live,” Hill says.
Tim and Dominique designed much of the furniture themselves – the dining room table, coffee table, study desk, and even the bed, which features built-in storage underneath and inside the bedhead.
Low, intimate spaces were created for the lounge and kitchen, in contrast to a soaring space above the dining table, encapsulating the study and leading to the courtyard.
Low, intimate spaces were created for the lounge and kitchen, in contrast to a soaring space above the dining table, encapsulating the study and leading to the courtyard.
The kitchen features a simple and humble vibe, but with a designer edge, much like the home as a whole.
The width of a roof sheet acts as an overarching module for the sun shell design.
“The spacing of timber portal frames, window widths and interior timber panels all follow this module, creating regular sizes for many components,” Hill says.
Decorative possibilities were identified and exploited within the underlying rationale, however. For example, the height of the windows, lengths of veneered panel and colours of the roof sheet varied to break the unity of larger surfaces.
“In this framework the decorative impulse of the fretwork of surrounding worker’s cottages was reinterpreted,” Hill explains.
Dining chairs: Eames Moulded Plywood Lounge Chair
“The spacing of timber portal frames, window widths and interior timber panels all follow this module, creating regular sizes for many components,” Hill says.
Decorative possibilities were identified and exploited within the underlying rationale, however. For example, the height of the windows, lengths of veneered panel and colours of the roof sheet varied to break the unity of larger surfaces.
“In this framework the decorative impulse of the fretwork of surrounding worker’s cottages was reinterpreted,” Hill explains.
Dining chairs: Eames Moulded Plywood Lounge Chair
The living area’s doors are on pivots to let in the sunshine and breeze when the weather’s fine.
If they didn’t make it themselves, the couple bought the interior furnishings second-hand. The pendant light is about 40 years old, and the sofa came with them from their rental unit in St Kilda.
“It’s a ‘50s sofa we bought second-hand for its small proportions,” Hill says. The limited space in the home they built meant the sofa suited their new home just as well.
The marble top on the dining table was leftover from marble used in the bathroom. Tim and Dominique had bought two slabs cheaply in a clearance sale. They used leftover marble to top the coffee table, too.
If they didn’t make it themselves, the couple bought the interior furnishings second-hand. The pendant light is about 40 years old, and the sofa came with them from their rental unit in St Kilda.
“It’s a ‘50s sofa we bought second-hand for its small proportions,” Hill says. The limited space in the home they built meant the sofa suited their new home just as well.
The marble top on the dining table was leftover from marble used in the bathroom. Tim and Dominique had bought two slabs cheaply in a clearance sale. They used leftover marble to top the coffee table, too.
Natural materials were used throughout the home’s interior, exploring the idea of “material honesty.”
The same concepts are explored in the building’s structure, with expressed structural framing and exposed connections.
The link between the two sun shells – a linear element matching the neighbouring wall – was created on the northern boundary, exaggerating the cliff-like quality of the northern edge. Platforms were established; some anchored on the ground and others floating up against the link. Finally, two sun shells were introduced, enclosing the platforms.
“Peeping over the link, the sun shells capture sunlight, reflecting it inside and establishing the necessary temperature differential for cross ventilation,” says Hill.
The link between the two sun shells – a linear element matching the neighbouring wall – was created on the northern boundary, exaggerating the cliff-like quality of the northern edge. Platforms were established; some anchored on the ground and others floating up against the link. Finally, two sun shells were introduced, enclosing the platforms.
“Peeping over the link, the sun shells capture sunlight, reflecting it inside and establishing the necessary temperature differential for cross ventilation,” says Hill.
The white translucent skin covering parts of the house captures shadows of neighbouring trees and passing clouds, and filters light into the interior. The sun-filled interior was what gave the home its nickname: Kensington Lighthouse.
Hill lived in the house for six years before selling this year – sadly, Dominique passed away shortly after the home was finished.
He is now in the process of designing another home for his current partner and two-year-old son – just around the corner in Kensington.
Hill lived in the house for six years before selling this year – sadly, Dominique passed away shortly after the home was finished.
He is now in the process of designing another home for his current partner and two-year-old son – just around the corner in Kensington.
“The overall aim was to build a property that could maximise the site’s potential whilst employing passive solar design principles,” says Hill.