Some projects begin with a form, or a program, or specific technical requirements. This project began with a colour. YELLOW.Yellow is fun, yellow is warm, yellow is friendly. These are the characteristics of the clients – a couple with two children who seem to be perpetually smiling. When we design we often try to tone the project to our client’s personality as well as their pragmatic needs and budget. In this case, their personalities always came back to these characteristics – fun, warm, friendly. Their sunny disposition adventurous spirit and love of bold colour was the basis for the design.

The family presented a common problem to the designers. The inner city bungalow that they owned was disconnected from the landscape, was poorly laid out and lacked space for their growing family. Most glaringly, the original bungalow had suffered an ill-conceived faux bungalow addition in the 1980’s. The brief was to reconfigure the existing house, remove the 1980’s homage to bungalow detailing and expand the house with a contemporary addition which captured the western light in a larger living space.

To achieve the larger addition inside the client’s budget, materials were chosen that are fast to build with and cost effective to purchase – but which provided for an unusual architectural experience in the suburban context and created both colourful interior and exterior experiences. Mill finished aluminum cladding was chosen for the exterior as it allowed for fast and efficient construction, but also created soft reflections of the garden and the ever changing colour of the sky in its surface. The result is a metallic skin that changes in its colour and lustre through the day and seasons. As the sun sets in late summer the house glows warmly in the rose coloured light reflected on its profiled surface. Conversely, in the crisp morning light a winter’s day a cool blue reflection back into the western living room is seen glimmering on the wall - reflected from a projecting portion of the verandah. 

Inside the decision was made to connect all of the communal spaces with a single coloured surface. A bright yellow floor. The floor is constructed in cost effective strandboard and is coated in a super durable multilayer paint system. Set amongst the natural timber of the kitchen, the high gloss yellow imparts a warming reflection over the crisp white walls and the occupants. The result is a home that perpetually feels fun, warm and friendly.