Redfern Arch House
A sculptural laneway celebration.
A Victorian terrace.
Redfern is a unique place to live with a very strong sense of community. It is a suburb with endless pedestrian activity along its streets, adding vitality and colour to the neighbourhood. Running parallel to this activity is a network of often underutilised laneways lined with an array of dilapidated fences, mismatched walls and unused roller doors. Unlike many, our client embraces their address onto Baptist Lane and has always seen it as an extension of their house & courtyard. When entertaining the roller door is often open as guests spill out into the laneway. The brief was to celebrate further and maximise this connection to the neighbourhood.
From the outset, the concept of the addition was to maximise the potential for connection to the courtyard and beyond. When I presented the initial concept of a 1,5 high volume with 4m high doors Georgia & Jono didn’t hesitate to give the go-ahead to move forward. Privacy wasn’t an issue as no properties at the rear overlook them, so they were fortunate to be able to take full advantage of this situation. There are numerous references to the Victorian terrace – the arched doors and the curved ceiling that follows the arched door - are a gesture to the numerous arches dotted throughout the original property – the generous scale & proportions as well – and the playful garden walls with a curved transition from low to high.
On transition to the new wing the space opens up dramatically and dynamically, providing a view to the generous kitchen and dining space and to large doors which capture the sky and frame a beautiful flowering distant tree in a neighbouring back garden.
Completed 2022
Builder I JNS
Photography © Ruth Gold
