Rose Park House

Rose Park House | Rose Park, Australia | 2021
[studio gram]

The Rose Park House is best described as a project of discovery from commencement to completion. From the street this early 1900’s Queen Anne Villa appears like any other, however beneath the surface lies a series of spaces designed to be unique in their function and expression, yet consistent in their approach, resulting in an Architecture that is completely unexpected. Early investigations revealed that the walls of the original dwelling were constructed from off-form concrete, making it a unique building for its age and location. This discovery served as a key material direction of the project.

To maintain the integrity of the original dwelling, only subtle changes in the plan were made to incorporate a master wing including a walk-in robe and ensuite. The central corridor maintains the original spatial arrangement of the home and leads one on a path of discovery. Each room explores the use of color and materiality to evoke a feeling that is akin to its function. The wine room exemplifies this through the use of a rich burgundy color, a celebration of the client’s impressive wine collection.

The existing pool was retained, and whilst it wasn’t love at first sight, it served as a key driver for the location and arrangement of the extension. The gentle curves of the pool would also later serve as a key inspiration for the sculptured forms found throughout each of the spaces. As a subtle homage to the pool, its curved forms, and the role it played in the aesthetic direction of the project, the pool motif has been inscribed into the pelmet within the front sitting room.

The extension, and final room in the sequence of discovery, is a moment of revelation. A billowing form becomes the transition between the original dwelling and the extension, celebrating the coming together of old and new. The curved bulkhead feels weighty yet soft and is an example of compression and release in action. Apertures in the walls and ceiling create a connection between the sky and the garden, allowing a moment for its occupants to witness the ephemerality of the garden and its seasonal change.

The result is a home that is highly resolved in the plan but truly sings in section. The sculptural quality of the thresholds accentuates the act of moving from one space to the next, resulting in an architecture that’s completely unexpected. Off-form concrete is used exclusively to support the pavilion form and consists of three parts; the flat roof over the patio, the pitched ‘nose-cone’, and the tapered blade walls. These three forms are all bound together by a singular concrete pour.

Taking full advantage of its rear Northern aspect, the concrete ‘nose-cone’ rises up to meet the midday sun, inviting warmth and shadow to cast across the interior, further enhancing the homogenous sculptural quality of the forms. To be within its walls is to be reminded of the interplay between time, space, light, color, and mass – the phenomena that shape the ebb and flow of our experiences. Text description by the architects.