The land on which this new dwelling is to stand is vast, large enough to house four “good-class” bungalows. The land is entered from the road at its highest point and slopes down thereafter, by as much as twelve metres at the farthest edge.
The potential of such a site is drastically altered with the presence of an existing two-storey house. This building, eighty years of age and gazetted to be conserved, is perched at the highest point of the land and commands the site. Due to planning guidelines, any new building on the lower ground can only be lower than the heritage house, thereby safeguarding its primary presence.
While the first instincts of a new landowner would be to stamp his distinctive mark with architecture, the ambition of the design effort shifted early on to defer to the old structure. The forms inserted beside the existing house are kept simple and finished in natural raw materials of timber and stone.
Much of the accommodation is housed underground, receiving light through sunken courtyards and oblique windows. A slim white colonnade elegantly stretches the length of the site and serves as a connecting datum for the underground and above ground spaces.
The land on which this new dwelling is to stand is vast, large enough to house four “good-class” bungalows. The land is entered from the road at its highest point and slopes down thereafter, by as much as twelve metres at the farthest edge.
The potential of such a site is drastically altered with the presence of an existing two-storey house. This building, eighty years of age and gazetted to be conserved, is perched at the highest point of the land and commands the site. Due to planning guidelines, any new building on the lower ground can only be lower than the heritage house, thereby safeguarding its primary presence.
While the first instincts of a new landowner would be to stamp his distinctive mark with architecture, the ambition of the design effort shifted early on to defer to the old structure. The forms inserted beside the existing house are kept simple and finished in natural raw materials of timber and stone.
Much of the accommodation is housed underground, receiving light through sunken courtyards and oblique windows. A slim white colonnade elegantly stretches the length of the site and serves as a connecting datum for the underground and above ground spaces.
The land on which this new dwelling is to stand is vast, large enough to house four “good-class” bungalows. The land is entered from the road at its highest point and slopes down thereafter, by as much as twelve metres at the farthest edge.
The potential of such a site is drastically altered with the presence of an existing two-storey house. This building, eighty years of age and gazetted to be conserved, is perched at the highest point of the land and commands the site. Due to planning guidelines, any new building on the lower ground can only be lower than the heritage house, thereby safeguarding its primary presence.
While the first instincts of a new landowner would be to stamp his distinctive mark with architecture, the ambition of the design effort shifted early on to defer to the old structure. The forms inserted beside the existing house are kept simple and finished in natural raw materials of timber and stone.
Much of the accommodation is housed underground, receiving light through sunken courtyards and oblique windows. A slim white colonnade elegantly stretches the length of the site and serves as a connecting datum for the underground and above ground spaces.
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