West Leederville Residence (2009)
WEST LEEDERVILLE RESIDENCE 2009 | Yael K Designs
AWARD WINNING HOUSE: BEST HOUSE (national and state) 2010/2009 (BDAWA + BDA), For more information see: http://www.yaelk.com.au/west-leederville-residence-2009
When the client is the designer… you dare to dream.
With only a tiny block to work with and the need for a large amount of office space, open-plan living, grand master suite, 2 guest bedrooms and four car garage….. paved the way for some creative thinking.
After hunting down the tiny 300m2 block with a 20m Northern frontage, overlooking Lake Monger, the client began a journey that was to be a ‘dream come true’, packed with obstacles.
One week later… the design concept was completed. Four weeks later… the drawings were submitted to Council for DA. One year later… still no council approval!
Finally, after successfully arguing that the design was ‘in keeping with that of the streetscape’, the house was passed without any design modifications. The client thought she was dreaming.
The tight land area and deep piling created access difficulties for the builder, requiring elaborate scaffolding to be erected for the duration of the construction.
If excavating the entire block by piling wasn’t enough, the rear boundary pegs showed that the neighbor’s wall was half a meter into the client’s property. With 1500mm of earth retaining the neighbor’s pool, garden and 1800mm high wall on top of it, moving the wall was not an option… The builder had to secure the wall with ground anchors to stabilize it while pilling.
Not the end of the world… the block is now only 290 square meters the garden will have to be smaller!
The offices take up most of the basement level.
With no verge side parking available on the street, a home office, clients and family regularly visiting the home, a clever four vehicle car lift was installed to resolve the parking situation.
An external stairway gives direct access to the basement offices from the entrance. The tiny sunken garden soaks in all the beautiful Northern sun, filling the basement with light and warmth in winter. An internal stairwell feeds all levels.
The living spaces are designed for entertaining. The wine and coffee bar is perched in the center, with all needs on hand. The house then wraps itself around the alfresco living area, via a frameless glass door system, which stacks neatly to one side, opening the entire house up. The polished concrete floors spill seamlessly into the alfresco, down exotic planters and into a sunken garden, with timber seating surrounding an old flower mill used as a charcoal fireplace.
The top level features the decadent master bedroom, with central fire place, wet bar, dressing room and an luxurious ensuite leading to a private outdoor lounge, taking in the beauty of the trees and the lake.
The entire house is highly appointed with technology and painstaking attention to detail. Culminating in a playground for the designer, her husband, their family and friends to live, work and play.
4 long years later the journey finally ends…
Good things definitely do come in small packages
CREDITS:
- Builder – Time Builders ( http://timebuilders.com.au/)
- Custom Furniture & Art - ARQ Designs ( http://www.arqdesigns.com.au/)
- Photography – Ron Tan Photography (tanron@bigpond.net.au)
AWARD WINNING HOUSE: BEST HOUSE (national and state) 2010/2009 (BDAWA + BDA), For more information see: http://www.yaelk.com.au/west-leederville-residence-2009
When the client is the designer… you dare to dream.
With only a tiny block to work with and the need for a large amount of office space, open-plan living, grand master suite, 2 guest bedrooms and four car garage….. paved the way for some creative thinking.
After hunting down the tiny 300m2 block with a 20m Northern frontage, overlooking Lake Monger, the client began a journey that was to be a ‘dream come true’, packed with obstacles.
One week later… the design concept was completed. Four weeks later… the drawings were submitted to Council for DA. One year later… still no council approval!
Finally, after successfully arguing that the design was ‘in keeping with that of the streetscape’, the house was passed without any design modifications. The client thought she was dreaming.
The tight land area and deep piling created access difficulties for the builder, requiring elaborate scaffolding to be erected for the duration of the construction.
If excavating the entire block by piling wasn’t enough, the rear boundary pegs showed that the neighbor’s wall was half a meter into the client’s property. With 1500mm of earth retaining the neighbor’s pool, garden and 1800mm high wall on top of it, moving the wall was not an option… The builder had to secure the wall with ground anchors to stabilize it while pilling.
Not the end of the world… the block is now only 290 square meters the garden will have to be smaller!
The offices take up most of the basement level.
With no verge side parking available on the street, a home office, clients and family regularly visiting the home, a clever four vehicle car lift was installed to resolve the parking situation.
An external stairway gives direct access to the basement offices from the entrance. The tiny sunken garden soaks in all the beautiful Northern sun, filling the basement with light and warmth in winter. An internal stairwell feeds all levels.
The living spaces are designed for entertaining. The wine and coffee bar is perched in the center, with all needs on hand. The house then wraps itself around the alfresco living area, via a frameless glass door system, which stacks neatly to one side, opening the entire house up. The polished concrete floors spill seamlessly into the alfresco, down exotic planters and into a sunken garden, with timber seating surrounding an old flower mill used as a charcoal fireplace.
The top level features the decadent master bedroom, with central fire place, wet bar, dressing room and an luxurious ensuite leading to a private outdoor lounge, taking in the beauty of the trees and the lake.
The entire house is highly appointed with technology and painstaking attention to detail. Culminating in a playground for the designer, her husband, their family and friends to live, work and play.
4 long years later the journey finally ends…
Good things definitely do come in small packages
CREDITS:
- Builder – Time Builders ( http://timebuilders.com.au/)
- Custom Furniture & Art - ARQ Designs ( http://www.arqdesigns.com.au/)
- Photography – Ron Tan Photography (tanron@bigpond.net.au)
Project Year: 2009
Project Cost: $1,500,001 AUD - $2,000,000 AUD
Country: Australia
Others who worked on this project: Tim Davies Landscaping | Perth
