FIGR.005 | SILHOUETTE HYTTE

CONTRASTS

Nestled among the quiet streets of the bayside Melbourne suburb of Elwood, the Silhouette Hytte House overcomes a number of challenging site conditions to create a considered design response to the clients’ brief and a playful and updated reference to the existing architectural vernacular.

The new addition changes in appearance from varying angles on the site, offering a dynamic yet playful use of the space.

Steeped in contextual sensitivity, Silhouette Hytte carefully negotiates its neighbours and positions itself as a unique extension on the site.

CREDITS.

PROJECT TEAM

Adi Atic, Michael Artemenko

BUILDER

BYDE Constructions Pty Ltd

ENGINEER

The Meyer Consulting Group

PHOTOGRAPHY

Tom Blachford

STYLING

Ruth Welsby

Project outcomes.

A PROCESS OF DISCOVERY.

The extruded envelope is reduced to its simplest form removing eaves and decorations. Subtractions in the envelope create openings to light and program amenity. Whilst the traditional roof profile is simplistic in form it is however very generous in volume.

A CONTEMPORARY TAKE ON A TRADITIONAL VICTORIAN ELEVATION.

IDEATION.

The design takes a pared-back approach, stripping the structure of all unnecessary adornment, instead relying on a simple extrusion of the building’s silhouette. Materiality delineates the form of the east-facing elevation with a combination of silvertop ash shiplap cladding and standing seam metal cladding.

Meanwhile, the extrusion is reduced to its simplest form, devoid of eaves or decoration to create a clean geometric structure. In this way, the design achieves a clarity of form and intent that emphasises the strong geometry of the adjacent heritage architecture while imbuing the new addition with a clearly contemporary minimalism.

The fold in the rear elevation negotiates proximity to the neighbouring trees and creates a more dynamic experience of the rear facade as the building changes proportion and appearance from different vantage points.

CRAFT.

A simple yet warm internal material palette continues the use of silvertop ash, the warmth of the timber lending the otherwise-minimalist interior a sense of approachability while defining zones within the open-plan space. A box-form insertion into the building envelope allows an expansion of the dining area, which is lined with timber to create a light-filled dining space that is set within the garden. Moving into the bathroom, timber is combined with terrazzo, stone vanity-tops and rectilinear tiles to create a more complex, layered materiality that is complementary to the simplicity of the larger spaces in the home.

The Silhouette Hytte House is an exemplar of the creative power of constraints. Here, the numerous challenges of the site have been interpreted creatively, undoubtedly leading to a more refined, considered and developed design response.

CREDITS.

PROJECT TEAM

Adi Atic, Michael Artemenko

BUILDER

BYDE Constructions Pty Ltd

ENGINEER

The Meyer Consulting Group

PHOTOGRAPHY

Tom Blachford

STYLING

Ruth Welsby

The result is a clean and minimalist yet character-filled contemporary home that is respectful and responsive to the neighbourhood’s rich heritage context.

FIGR.005 | SILHOUETTE HYTTE

CONTRASTS

The new addition changes in appearance from varying angles on the site, offering a dynamic yet playful use of the space.

Steeped in contextual sensitivity, Silhouette Hytte carefully negotiates its neighbours and positions itself as a unique extension on the site.

CREDITS.

Contact Form

Related projects.

A PROCESS OF DISCOVERY.

A CONTEMPORARY TAKE ON A TRADITIONAL VICTORIAN ELEVATION.

IDEATION.

CRAFT.

CREDITS.

The result is a clean and minimalist yet character-filled contemporary home that is respectful and responsive to the neighbourhood’s rich heritage context.