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Archives: Projects

Cole House

Deakin House - new entry with skillion roof over and timber bay window

COLE HOUSE

The innovation and excellence in the design relates to the introduction of a completely new aesthetic to the building which has turned a tired old Canberra house into a sparkling new addition to an already interesting Deakin streetscape. This total remodelling has produced a good functional family home almost indistinguishable from a complete knockdown and rebuild. The innovation in construction relates to the large part of interesting and “edgy” materials that have been put together in a well thought out manner. 

Deakin House - new entry with skillion roof over and timber bay window

A significant design determinant was to attempt to design the building to maximise the solar access to the newly created living spaces for the client yet respect the solar access for the neighbour to the South. To a large extent the design is informed by the physical configuration of the roof which generates the dominant architectural expression from the Street. The large skillion roof running right through has the double benefit of dropping northern light into the main living areas whilst retaining an excellent northern aspect for the southern neighbour.

Hackett House

Industrial House - Corten framing to garage

HACKETT HOUSE

This was an interesting project from the outset given the clients were domiciled in Asia on a government posting. The whole design and building process was carried out via e-mail and Facetime without the parties meeting prior to the client’s occupying the house on their return. The brief was to deliver an affordable, environmental, liveable family house. The clients however were very clear and adventurous about the aesthetic elements of the design. The brief encouraged the innovative use of non-standard materials and colour to give a slightly retro, ‘industrial-chic’ feel.

Industrial House - central courtyard after rain - private open space between two living areas

Given the northern orientation to the front of the block the house has been configured as two pavilions both facing north and forming a private courtyard between and flowing out from the main living areas. The house is constructed with reverse brick veneer, high levels of insulation, good-quality windows and a single ‘thickness’ living space all contributing to an overall high-level of an environment of awareness in design.

Despite the tyranny of distance the house has realised the brief to the satisfaction of Architect, client and a design savvy builder.

Sarris House

Sarris Beach House - steep pitched barn like roof with colourful gables beach house - timber louvre bifold doors

SARRIS HOUSE

This is the design that harks back to the bucolic past, it is unashamedly not modern.  It is quintessentially a beach house with the client’s firm thumbprint evident throughout.  The brief was clear and precise; the house was to be a home, an easy care, low maintenance, inviting and family-friendly place to hang your hat.
The clients themselves took on the role of interior designer and using not inconsiderable past experience realised a bold and vibrant concept in colour and style.

The articulation of the plan form allows private spaces to flow outside from key living areas whilst providing good solar access to intimate protected spaces that in turn allow for a window on the street.

Sarris Beach House - steep pitched barn like roof with colourful gables beach house - timber louvre bifold doors

The builder has taken great pains to deliver a product that pays careful attention to all the important details and as a result of his work, the client/architect synergy the house stands as a beautiful echo of a simpler past.

Yarralumla Mid-century Modern

Yarralumla Mid-century Modern
Yarralumla Mid-century Modern

YARRALUMLA MID-CENTURY MODERN

Yarralumla Mid-century Modern

In approaching the design of a single storey house on a relatively small block in Yarralumla the key design determinants relate to site levels, a dominant existing tree at the rear, a problematic driveway location, the street context and energy efficiency principles. Address of these largely functional performance issues form a key part of the conceptual framework and philosophy behind the design.

A very large deciduous tree dominates the rear; its root system dictated levels and generated a gentle lifting of the street elevation. This enabled a sense of layering and cantilevering to be expressed while still retaining the essential rhythm and proportions of the street. The composition of horizontal and vertical planes is detailed with an intention to give certain elements of building a ‘floating’ quality.

The clients are keen gardeners. The relationship from inside and out addresses a fundamental rof the brief and its realization.  The main living area at the rear is addressed by wide corridor and leads on to what is essentially an outdoor room whose roof is the existing tree. The clients being of retirement age suggests occupation more comprehensively during the day and as a consequence an emphasis on private northern spaces is heightened.

Modern Barn House

Wildes Meadow House - three pavilions

MODERN BARN HOUSE

Wildes Meadow House - protected outdoor eating area

A Modern Twist on the Traditional Barn House

This was an exciting project as it’s not often that architects get the opportunity to design a second house for a client. This project followed on from an iconic mid-century modern design built on a rural hilltop on Nanima Road just outside Canberra.  

The clients had re-located to the NSW Southern Highlands and wanted to build a new house that would have off-grid energy supply and comply with the bushfire code. The result is a black modern barn house that sits quietly in its environment. Tony Trobe designed a house with pavilions facing north to capture the winter sun and windows to frame the stunning rural and lake views. design utilises the northern sun.

Lawe Davie Extension

Lawe Lavies extension -view from living area looking north to hardwood deckupper level extension with bay window and good inside outside relationship

LAWE DAVIE EXTENSION

Lawe Lavies extension -view from living area looking north to hardwood deckupper level extension with bay window and good inside outside relationship

A home for a family who wished to transform a fairly standard new suburban box into a sustainable, light filled family home.

The transformation of the house has been used as a reference point by the local residents group as an exemplar of a project where the built form and the mixed palette of materials is appropriate for its suburban context and is good sustainable practice.

East House

East House - dusk photograph - glazing to the underside of eaves

EAST HOUSE

What started out as a very modest brief to construct a rural retreat for a Jon and Leslie East has evolved into a somewhat more exotic beast. While still very simple and compact in plan form the final resolution of the architectural forms has produced a dramatic and iconic response.

The siting of the house in a wooded glade with views of the Araluen Valley and close to Braidwood in New South Wales has taken a sensible compromise between ensuring suitable solar gain and paying homage to the spectacular outlook.

East House - dusk photograph - glazing to the underside of eaves

The dramatic cantilevered roof form, dark and informal blade stone wall, floating floor structure and minimalist finishes have combined to produce an architecturally significant response to a simple brief.

Jindabyne House

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JINDABYNE HOUSE

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Jindabyne House

The clients for this Jindabyne house sought a ski and mountain-bike retreat to accommodate friends and family.  It was to be designed to be separated into one larger and one smaller area to cater for different rental in occupation scenarios.

The clients expressed a preference for Scandi-barn style referenced in other TT projects, exposed timber beams, good solar access, and wheelchair/disabled access (the building contains a semi-commercial lift). The house was designed to take advantage of the excellent views whilst maintaining good northern solar gain. The clients were passionate for the house to be constructed with light-weight material, for example using 140mm external wall framing packed with substantially more than the required installation, a heat recovery system, for the dwelling to be comprehensively well sealed and to generally to follow ‘Passivhaus’ principles.

 The result is a warm, articulated and aesthetically appropriate mountain-style residence that is a tribute to the client’s clear and innovative brief.

 
 

Scully House

Autonomous Mud Brick House - Tony Trobe in front of sustainable house

SCULLY HOUSE

Located on Two Sticks Road on the New South Wales and ACT border, due east of Canberra this is one of the most innovative and challenging projects undertaken by TT Architecture in recent years. In combination with a very proactive an architecturally adventurous client the outcome is a very satisfying architectural statement and environmental exemplar.

Throughout the development of the design there was a strong direction from the client to always select options giving the best environmental outcome. As a result of the house can be accurately described as “autonomous” catering for its own power water and waste requirements.

Autonomous Mud Brick House - Tony Trobe in front of sustainable house

The house has no connection to any external power source generating its own electricity through an array of PV plates mounted on the water tank. Incoming water is stored on site and all outgoing effluent is treated in a bio-aquatic tank system for reuse on the site.

The use of mud bricks and recycled materials throughout the design are strong themes throughout the design. The design has also won numerous local and national awards for Sustainability.

O’Connor House

O'Connor house - adjustable sun shading blinds

O'CONNOR HOUSE

Ageing in place was at the core of the client’s brief for this house which sits on a 760m2 block with a North East facing front. This agenda dictated that the main bedroom and living areas be located on one level. The two guest bedrooms are upstairs with individual ensuites attached.

The general configuration of the plan provides for two parallel North facing pavilions. Sandwiched between is a private open space for outdoor living and alfresco kitchen. A small plunge pool in the courtyard adds to the mix in both functional and aesthetic senses.

O'Connor house - adjustable sun shading blinds

One of the main features of this new dwelling built in the Canberra suburb of O’Connor is a large two-storey rammed earth wall running down the long axis of the house. Rammed earth walls have high thermal mass which means that they have the ability to store any free energy donated by the sun through North facing windows. In addition to the heat storage trick, rammed earth has great sound insulation, fire resistance, durability, moisture resistance, breathability and low toxicity…and frankly it looks stunning. The softness of the natural material and the clean lines of the modern aesthetic come together in this house to give a very individual and site specific response. The rammed earth walls have been moulded to frame an important collection of paintings and works of art.

The kitchen is relatively large; a chef’s kitchen if you like, with dual ovens, a generous island and butler’s pantry.  The house contains a North facing family meals kitchen area, a formal lounge dining as an evening space and a significant wine cellar basement doubling up as a movie theatre tucked in below.

mail@ttarchitecture.com.au | (02) 6232 6311

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