Project Of The Week
Stickybeak of the Week: A Creative Extension Designed for Kids
This sustainable addition to a California bungalow is designed to stimulate children's curiosity and playfulness
Children have an instinct to explore and discover, and it was this instinct that the owners of this home in Northcote, Victoria wanted to encourage in their three young children. Penny Guild of Guild Architects was asked to design a second-storey extension with a focus on fun spaces for kids, including three separate bedrooms, an extra bathroom and a rumpus room, all linked by a plant-lined walkway.
Extension at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five including three children age 4, 6 and 8
Location: Northcote, Victoria
Size: 106 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and rumpus room
Architecture and design: Guild Architects
Extension at a Glance
Who lives here: A family of five including three children age 4, 6 and 8
Location: Northcote, Victoria
Size: 106 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom and rumpus room
Architecture and design: Guild Architects
Guild designed the upstairs addition, setting the roof back from the existing ridge line so it can barely be seen from the street. “Sloped walls further diminish the perceived height, while meeting Residential Code standards,” says Guild.
The house is now configured with the living spaces and master bedroom on the ground floor. The staircase is in the centre of the floor plan, and upstairs accommodates three children’s bedrooms, a bathroom and children’s living area. There is extra storage (and exploration) space in the roof, and a balcony overlooks the rear garden.
Natural light filters into the ground-floor hallway through the void above the staircase. “Timber drawers in the usually dead space under the stairs provide storage space for school bags, helmets and shoes, and form the lower part of the staircase,” says Guild.
With sustainability proving to be a big focus of the project, Guild used sustainably sourced materials and low-VOC finishes.
Blackbutt plywood used for the flooring and joinery is a hardwood ply and more durable than softwood varieties. “Using plywood rather than solid timber is a more efficient use of resources, as manufacturers can utilise smaller timber pieces to make up the ply sheets,” says Guild. The ArmourTread engineered stair treads are also blackbutt, and the custom-made balustrade is painted steel.
The new ceilings are made with BioPCM™ (Phase Change Material), which absorbs excess heat during the day, releasing the energy in the evening as the house cools. The material absorbs and releases large quantities of energy very quickly and for extensive periods of time due to phase changing. “It provides a biodegradable, carbon-neutral, highly efficient and lightweight mass alternative,” says Guild.
Blackbutt plywood used for the flooring and joinery is a hardwood ply and more durable than softwood varieties. “Using plywood rather than solid timber is a more efficient use of resources, as manufacturers can utilise smaller timber pieces to make up the ply sheets,” says Guild. The ArmourTread engineered stair treads are also blackbutt, and the custom-made balustrade is painted steel.
The new ceilings are made with BioPCM™ (Phase Change Material), which absorbs excess heat during the day, releasing the energy in the evening as the house cools. The material absorbs and releases large quantities of energy very quickly and for extensive periods of time due to phase changing. “It provides a biodegradable, carbon-neutral, highly efficient and lightweight mass alternative,” says Guild.
A Forbo bulletin board is used to display family photos and children’s artworks, and the all-natural material is applied directly to the wall.
This aquarium is in the centre of the bulletin board and can be viewed from both the hallway and dining room on the opposite side of the wall, seen here. “It provides a dynamic feature for the children to look at, look through and learn from,” says Guild.
Custom-made aquarium: Aquatecture
Custom-made aquarium: Aquatecture
On the upstairs landing, a planter is recessed into the floor, with plants growing upwards and vines trailing over the side.
A walkway across the void is for the kids to play in and move through. Pots affixed to the timber slats and steel posts bring colour to balance the built-in planter.
A walkway across the void is for the kids to play in and move through. Pots affixed to the timber slats and steel posts bring colour to balance the built-in planter.
Guild created the walkway, which connects two bedrooms, as an alternative pathway for the children.
They can access it through a hatch door from the top bunk, which is another fun place for them to climb and play. A door at the other end of the bunk bed provides access to the roof storage space.
“The spaces offer opportunities for the children to play hide and seek and other games, and the joinery is robust enough for them to climb on and jump off,” says Guild. “The sloped walls and variation in ceiling heights also create fun and quirky attic-like spaces for the kids.”
“The spaces offer opportunities for the children to play hide and seek and other games, and the joinery is robust enough for them to climb on and jump off,” says Guild. “The sloped walls and variation in ceiling heights also create fun and quirky attic-like spaces for the kids.”
Joinery in the children’s living area upstairs keeps the children’s books, toys, games and LEGO collection stored away. It utilises the dead space created by the angled wall.
Blue hexagonal tiles in the new upstairs bathroom accentuate the angle of the wall and bring playful colour to the otherwise all-white space.
Geo Infinity Range tile: Southern Cross Ceramics
Tell us
What do you love about this playful extension? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join in the conversation.
More
Want more? Check out last week’s Stickybeak of the Week: A Coastal Home and a Sun-Bleached Palette
Geo Infinity Range tile: Southern Cross Ceramics
Tell us
What do you love about this playful extension? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join in the conversation.
More
Want more? Check out last week’s Stickybeak of the Week: A Coastal Home and a Sun-Bleached Palette
Prior to the extension of this California bungalow, the clients’ three young children shared one small bedroom. They consequently wanted more space and storage for their growing children, and as they are passionate about sustainability the clients wanted a thermally comfortable and light-filled home with low environmental impact.