Light Source - Cathi Colla Architects

LIGHT SOURCE.

What do you get when a family of five needs to renovate and add to a worn out old single storey weatherboard cottage?

"Light Source" brings warmth, happiness and daylight into this new home. Now, a contemporary double storey adaption, complete with north facing living areas stretching beyond to generous garden areas.

“It was during construction that their (Cathi Colla Architects) value shone through for me.

I remember the first site meeting. They were asking questions that I would never have dreamed of asking at the time. They were able to nip a couple of issues in the bud.

They dealt with issues in a a calm and constructive manner with the builder.”

Ciara,
Brunswick East, VIC

Adapting a Cottage – The Design Challenge

The cottage could accommodate the required renovations, but the plot has an extremely limited width when it came to accommodating an upper floor and north-facing living areas. It took a bit of negotiating when it came to appeasing the required statutory setbacks for this site.

Design Solution – Results

Over the new north facing living area there is a double-storey void, to maximize the capture of natural daylight with high windows. There is fixed shading to the north windows to minimise sun access inside during the warmer months. This void will also bring light into the upstairs guest room/study.

Our client wanted low-maintenance materials on the outside, so we chose suitable materials that were long-lasting and met the client’s budget and colour scheme. This allowed us to bring some more focus on the internal spaces and materials.

The site was challenging, but the project met the client’s brief, their site and their aspirations.

Sustainable Design Principles include

Re-use and recycle the existing building as much as possible
Optimise opportunities for north facing daytime areas
Shading to north facing windows and doors
Minimise east and west facing windows to reduce summer heat loading
Windows to south side of home to enable cooling cross breezes through the home
Roof mounted gas boosted solar hot water service
Rainwater harvesting for garden use

Main Bedroom: Simple, clean, calm cplours, materials and textures.

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Cathi Colla Architects.

ABN 15 039 768 106.

We collaborate with clients with project sites located near and far, including Melbourne, regional Victoria and NSW.

Registered Architect ARBV 15009.
Nominated Architect NSWRB 8984.
Certified Passivhaus Designer.

Acknowledgement of Country.

Cathi Colla Architects acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which our studio is located, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation, and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

We celebrate the diversity of Indigenous peoples and their enduring cultures and connections to the land and the waters. We acknowledge the stories, traditions, and living cultures of peoples who also work and live on this land.

We commit to building a brighter future together.