Binary House

Sydney, Australia

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Binary House

Sydney, Australia

Firm

Christopher Polly Architect

Type

Residential › Private House

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2018

SIZE

1000 sqft - 3000 sqft

Photos

Brett Boardman Photography (31), Christopher Polly Architect (6)

A crafted volume is carefully connected to the retained and refashioned rear of an original 1960’s brick dwelling to enact clear planning, cost and environmental values in an articulated binary composition of spatial and material opposites - a cellular and private front with an extant yellow brick character, and a voluminous and public rear with a singular grey metal expression in counterpoint.
The retained bungalow responsibly preserves the embodied energy of its original footprint while contributing to meeting a low budget and allowing the mid-century form of its suburban type to be retained within its locality. Its available envelope carefully configures the client’s ‘private’ program within a reworked plan, while vaulted skylights carved within the original roof expand several spaces to light and sky. A sharply folding link spatially unlocks a compressed front hall while allowing the location of interstitial courtyards for light, ventilation and divergent view at the centre of the plan - in turn promoting an interplay of private and public rooms across front and rear zones.
The two-storey pavilion provides a volumetrically expansive double-height living area, and serves as a generously proportioned ‘garden room’ with large apertures capturing sky and landscape views. A stair element extends the established circulation condition from the original front entry, while also marking the arrangement of two smaller rooms at one end of its volume - a ground level kitchen and an upper floor sitting room for desired enjoyment of sunsets that is flexibly adaptable as a bedroom or future study. It employs a predominance of pre-finished and robust low maintenance materials for long term durability and offers a dichotomy of two differing material characters at either end of its volume, while its binary play of honey and grey tones reference the exterior yellow brick and grey metal of the two distinct structures.
It reflects contemporary patterns of use for meals preparations, dining and enjoyment of directly connected outdoor spaces and achieves improved privacy from overlooking neighbours - while simultaneously allowing desired transparency for unfettered spatial relationships within its volume and across its two parts for strengthened connections to its landscaped gardens and setting.