A New Build on a Sloping Site That's All About Connection
After years of living abroad, this family wanted a spacious home where they could entertain and enjoy moments of quiet
Georgia Madden
23 September 2021
In this Q&A series, we turn the spotlight on one thought-provoking renovation each week. Here, Gaurav Rajadhyax, architect and director at R Architecture takes us through the process of designing a spacious new build on a steep site for a couple with two older children. The family wanted a house to accommodate large-scale entertaining and extended stays from visiting relatives, along with areas where they could connect as well as escape for moments of privacy.
Images by Tatjana Plitt
Answers by Gaurav Rajadhyax, architect and director at R Architecture
Who lives here: A family of four including two adult children
Location: Glen Waverley, Victoria
Bedrooms and bathrooms: Five bedrooms and four bathrooms
House size: Approximately 620 square metres
Budget: $1.1 million
Architecture interior design: R Architecture
Builder: Blufern Projects
Stylist: Rowena Moore
Answers by Gaurav Rajadhyax, architect and director at R Architecture
Who lives here: A family of four including two adult children
Location: Glen Waverley, Victoria
Bedrooms and bathrooms: Five bedrooms and four bathrooms
House size: Approximately 620 square metres
Budget: $1.1 million
Architecture interior design: R Architecture
Builder: Blufern Projects
Stylist: Rowena Moore
Can you describe the house?
A contemporary, architect-designed home over three levels in a quiet, leafy suburb.
Ready to build your dream home? Find a local architect near you on Houzz
A contemporary, architect-designed home over three levels in a quiet, leafy suburb.
Ready to build your dream home? Find a local architect near you on Houzz
What was your scope of works?
The architecture, interior design and furniture selection for this new build.
The architecture, interior design and furniture selection for this new build.
What was your brief?
Designed for an expat family returning from years living abroad, the home was to promote connected intergenerational living, with generous accommodation for visiting family from overseas (prior to travel restrictions).
The client also loves entertaining, so the house design had to feature large, flexible spaces with easy flow between communal areas, indoors and out.
Designed for an expat family returning from years living abroad, the home was to promote connected intergenerational living, with generous accommodation for visiting family from overseas (prior to travel restrictions).
The client also loves entertaining, so the house design had to feature large, flexible spaces with easy flow between communal areas, indoors and out.
What were the client’s must-haves?
- Free-flowing, indoor-outdoor living.
- A connection to the leafy surrounds and views to the Dandenong Ranges.
What exactly did you do?
- Designed a modern and dynamic new house that addresses the brief and responds to the site’s sloping conditions.
- Oriented the internal spaces to maximise views and light.
- Curated the layout to offer flexibility and internal views along with free-flowing, indoor-outdoor connection.
Browse more images of contemporary Australian kitchens on Houzz
What look and feel did you want to create?
Externally, it was really important for us to capture the context of the views, vegetation and orientation. Internally, we wanted to inject some colour and personality.
Externally, it was really important for us to capture the context of the views, vegetation and orientation. Internally, we wanted to inject some colour and personality.
What challenges did you face?
Working with the site’s steep slope while achieving a fluid layout with smooth and practical connection to the outdoors was probably the main challenge.
Working with the site’s steep slope while achieving a fluid layout with smooth and practical connection to the outdoors was probably the main challenge.
What was the budget?
Around $1.1 million.
Where did most of it go?
On the new building, structural works, expansive commercial windows with energy-efficient double glazing and on the interior fit-out.
Around $1.1 million.
Where did most of it go?
On the new building, structural works, expansive commercial windows with energy-efficient double glazing and on the interior fit-out.
Tell us about the joinery wall in the living room
This floor-to-ceiling birch ply wall of joinery brings character and warmth to the room, while concealing storage space and display shelving behind push-touch doors.
Rectangular panels in two different tones of birch ply are defined by slim, recessed shadowlines. As the wood fades gently in the sun over time, this will create a tonal, jigsaw-like effect, which will add to the character.
This floor-to-ceiling birch ply wall of joinery brings character and warmth to the room, while concealing storage space and display shelving behind push-touch doors.
Rectangular panels in two different tones of birch ply are defined by slim, recessed shadowlines. As the wood fades gently in the sun over time, this will create a tonal, jigsaw-like effect, which will add to the character.
Why did you add the perforated external screen?
Screening was required to prevent overlooking neighbouring houses. Being east-facing, we also wanted to bring in as much sunlight as possible into the upper floor through the screens. To achieve these two goals, we customised perforated aluminium screens.
Screening was required to prevent overlooking neighbouring houses. Being east-facing, we also wanted to bring in as much sunlight as possible into the upper floor through the screens. To achieve these two goals, we customised perforated aluminium screens.
The main bedroom includes a study space
What are the defining features of the house now?
What are the defining features of the house now?
- Staggered timber cladding in western-red cedar along the front facade.
- Perforated metal screens.
- A pool and deck.
- The living room’s joinery wall.
The guest bedroom
Interior materials palette
Fixtures and fittings
Interior materials palette
- Polished-concrete flooring in the entrance.
- Solid blackbutt flooring to the bedrooms, living and dining areas.
- Surface Squared white birch ply to the living room joinery wall.
- Kitchen joinery finished in two-pack polyurethane in Dulux Natural White.
- Caesarstone Calacatta Nuvo to the kitchen benchtops.
- Beaumont Tiles concrete-look porcelain tiles to the bathrooms.
Fixtures and fittings
- Miele kitchen appliances.
- Matt-black tapware from Reece and Highgrove Bathrooms.
- Real Flame landscape gas fireplace.
The main ensuite
Paint colours
Paint colours
- Exterior render finish in Dulux China White.
- Interior in Dulux Natural White.
Exterior palette
Your turn
Which feature in this new build captures your eye? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see another new build? Don’t miss this story – Sun Worshipper: A Captivating Home Made to Maximise Winter Light
- Urbanline Architectural western-red cedar cladding.
- Colorbond Night Sky steel cladding and powder-coated window-frame finishes.
- Perforated aluminium screens in an anodised finish.
Your turn
Which feature in this new build captures your eye? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see another new build? Don’t miss this story – Sun Worshipper: A Captivating Home Made to Maximise Winter Light
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Love the transparency. The night shot almost reminds me of a Japanese lantern
Beautiful, although one might think: if you already spent 1,1 million in renovation, you seriously had no money left to install electrical blinds in the bedroom too? Seriously, seeing those chains was so surprising, lol!
"Honey, let's close the blinds and go to bed!"
"Sure thing sweetheart! I'll start from this side, you'll start from that one. Will see you in the middle in 20 minutes!"
LOL
$1.1m for a 3 storey, 600sqm house, I think this must be wrong!