A successful house design doesn't have to be flashy or palatial in its approach.
Case in point, part of the clients' brief for this project was that the addition should not draw attention to itself.
Located in a sleepy coastal town on the south coast of NSW, Re-Generation House won a sustainable architecture award at this year's NSW Institute of Architects Awards.
A collaboration between architect Alexander Symes, material research practice Second Edition and artist Jane Theau, Re-Generation House encompasses the site's existing cottage with an additional gabled pavilion, intentionally small in scale and environmental impact.
The buildings utilise recycled brick, timber cladding, marble, railway sleepers, sandstone steps, tiles, basins, toilets, mirrors, taps, and second-hand or materials that were on their way to landfill.
According to Symes, the dwelling is simple and respectful of its surroundings, yet highly considered and crafted to create an example of how we can reuse buildings and materials to create robust structures fit for future climate scenarios.
Built with high thermal performance strategies, the new pavilion is a place to retreat to in extreme temperature events.
Symes worked in collaboration with Second Edition on the interior design and material selection for the property's bathrooms. The majority of the finishes, fittings, fixtures and joinery in these spaces were salvaged from local waste streams, or sourced from second-hand marketplaces. The marble floor was salvaged scraps collected from marble suppliers, and the floor and wall tiles were excess stock from local renovations.
