Sun Worshipper: A Captivating Home Made to Maximise Winter Light
See how an architect overcame a poor orientation to create a light-filled, contemporary new home with playful touches
Georgia Madden
27 August 2021
In this Q&A series, we turn the spotlight on one thought-provoking renovation each week. Here, Adam Hobbs, principal architect at Hobbs Jamieson Architecture, talks us through the design of a stunning and newly built four-bedroom suburban home on a gently sloping site, designed as a series of connected pavilions.
Images by Luc Remond
Answers by Adam Hobbs, principal architect at Hobbs Jamieson Architecture
Who lives here: A couple who have grown-up children and grandchildren living elsewhere
Location: Willoughby, NSW
Bedrooms and bathrooms: Four bedrooms and four bathrooms
Size of the house: 300 square metres
Architect: Hobbs Jamieson Architecture
Builder: Vanda Constructions
Styling: The owner
Kitchen joinery: Caruana Kitchens
Landscaping: Lone Pine Landscapes
Answers by Adam Hobbs, principal architect at Hobbs Jamieson Architecture
Who lives here: A couple who have grown-up children and grandchildren living elsewhere
Location: Willoughby, NSW
Bedrooms and bathrooms: Four bedrooms and four bathrooms
Size of the house: 300 square metres
Architect: Hobbs Jamieson Architecture
Builder: Vanda Constructions
Styling: The owner
Kitchen joinery: Caruana Kitchens
Landscaping: Lone Pine Landscapes
Describe the house
A contemporary, single-storey home built in 2020.
Looking to build your own dream home? Find an architect near you on Houzz
A contemporary, single-storey home built in 2020.
Looking to build your own dream home? Find an architect near you on Houzz
The floor plan
What was the client’s brief?
To design a private, contemporary and light-filled home on a single level that connected well to the outside areas and embraced the winter sun.
What was the client’s brief?
To design a private, contemporary and light-filled home on a single level that connected well to the outside areas and embraced the winter sun.
Elevation of the house
What were their must-haves for the new design?
What were their must-haves for the new design?
- Light.
- Connectivity to the outside.
- Privacy.
- A single-storey design.
What was your thinking behind the colour and materials palette?
To provide a classic backdrop, with inclusions of colour and folly within the joinery components.
To provide a classic backdrop, with inclusions of colour and folly within the joinery components.
Tell us about the touches of bold colour in the kitchen and bathrooms
These were chosen by the clients. They were keen to add some colour and fun to the classic, base-colour palette.
Browse images of contemporary Australian bathrooms on Houzz
These were chosen by the clients. They were keen to add some colour and fun to the classic, base-colour palette.
Browse images of contemporary Australian bathrooms on Houzz
What look and feel did you want to create?
Contemporary with clean lines, but not cold.
Contemporary with clean lines, but not cold.
Can you tell us about the layout?
The site suffers from being south-facing. We divided the house into four pavilions so we could create courtyards and allow key parts of the home to face north and capture the winter sun.
The pool is on the north side of the living area and creates a nice atmospheric contribution to the living space by reflecting light and offering views over the water.
The site suffers from being south-facing. We divided the house into four pavilions so we could create courtyards and allow key parts of the home to face north and capture the winter sun.
The pool is on the north side of the living area and creates a nice atmospheric contribution to the living space by reflecting light and offering views over the water.
Tell us about the round window
It is more or less a folly, really, creating a porthole-snippet view to the pool from the hallway and a bit of fun from the pool side.
It is more or less a folly, really, creating a porthole-snippet view to the pool from the hallway and a bit of fun from the pool side.
Where did most of the budget go?
The home has very high-end finishes, including appliances, complete underfloor heating and a 10kW solar system.
The home has very high-end finishes, including appliances, complete underfloor heating and a 10kW solar system.
What are the defining features of the house?
- A large cathedral ceiling in the main living space.
- Varying courtyard options.
- Connectivity from the house to the courtyards.
- The feature brickwork.
We love the hit-and-miss brickwork – tell us about it
The client wanted a very closed and private presentation to the street. At the same time, we wanted to provide some interest to the street, without making the home completely cut off.
The feature brickwork gave us the option to filter the views in and out, while creating an ‘art wall’ to the street. The brickwork also creates the street number for the house when in shadow.
The client wanted a very closed and private presentation to the street. At the same time, we wanted to provide some interest to the street, without making the home completely cut off.
The feature brickwork gave us the option to filter the views in and out, while creating an ‘art wall’ to the street. The brickwork also creates the street number for the house when in shadow.
Why do you think the house works so well?
It’s not fussy, it captures the sun very well in winter and includes some neat architectural detailing, particularly in the brickwork to the street.
The connectivity to the house is another successful feature. Plus, the fact that it is split into pavilions solves the issue of its poor site orientation.
It’s not fussy, it captures the sun very well in winter and includes some neat architectural detailing, particularly in the brickwork to the street.
The connectivity to the house is another successful feature. Plus, the fact that it is split into pavilions solves the issue of its poor site orientation.
Interior materials palette
Interior fixtures and fittings
- Artedomus porcelain tiles throughout.
- Caesarstone Statuario Maximus benchtops and splashback in the kitchen.
- Two-pack polyurethane kitchen joinery finished in Dulux La Pineta.
- Western-red cedar battens to the front of the kitchen island.
- Western-red cedar timber linings throughout the house.
Interior fixtures and fittings
- Architectural Window Systems (AWS) windows supplied by BWG.
- Villeroy & Boch bath.
- Astra Walker tapware.
Furniture
Paint colours
- All furniture from Fanuli Furniture, supplied by the owners.
Paint colours
- Dulux Lexicon to the internal walls.
- Dulux La Pineta to the kitchen joinery.
Exterior materials palette
- Colorbond Shale Grey roof cladding.
- Window frames colour-matched to Colorbond Basalt.
- Select brickwork painted to match Colorbond Surfmist.
- CSR Cemintel Barestone and James Hardie Axon wall cladding.
- Decking coated with Intergrain UltraDeck.
Your turn
What is your favourite feature in this new build? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Want to see another inspirational new build? Don’t miss this story A Family Affair: Side-by-Side Townhouses for Two Brothers
What is your favourite feature in this new build? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Want to see another inspirational new build? Don’t miss this story A Family Affair: Side-by-Side Townhouses for Two Brothers
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Love the larger windows and natural light.
This looks like a beautifully crafted home.
Oh my god love the use of colour.