Stage one of a reworking of a double storey terrace house, this renovation to the existing bathroom needed to provide new storage and a laundry, maintain existing external access, and at the same time provide a new bathroom with a strong sense of privacy.
Design Response
The key question for us: how do you provide the qualities of privacy to a space that is shared but too small to subdivide?
To answer this we used the one substantial intervention we had to make – a cupboard for storage and laundry – as the spine of the project.
Dividing the space in half we then used differences of colour and material to give each side of this cupboard its own character. On one side, a subtle blackbutt box conceals storage and a laundry. The other side, a glossy red tiled washroom, is reminiscent of mid 20th century public amenities and inspired by the client’s love of design from that period. Surrounding these spaces in cement render, trowelled to a smooth finish, gives a cave-like experience within a house – a place for withdrawal into the private.
Design Characteristics
Key values
Clever use of a single space for different uses
Unusual use of materials for wall and shower finish
Integration of client artwork
Integration of storage
Key materials
Cement render wall finish
CSR barestone cement sheet shower enclosure
Academy Tiles Rosso Siso wall tiles
Birch ply joinery with Blackbutt veneer
Basalt vanity
Design Specifications
Core deliverables
Bathroom with shower and bath
Laundry
Storage
Services Provided
Full Services
Architect
Workshop Architecture
People
Project Team: Simon Whibley, Bahman Andalib, Bernadette Zajd
Client
Steven Gaff
Date completed
2015
Location
Collingwood, Melbourne
Area
20m² renovation
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