This is Rina
Anchored around a nectarine tree, Rina is a love letter to the suburb of Reservoir. The extension takes inspiration from the eclectic suburb as it unlocks the existing Californian Bungalow to suit a modern family of 4.
Sunlight filters inside through timber battens on the pergola and high level windows bookend the raked ceiling, harnessing more natural light and ventilation. A brick fireplace-cum-benchseat immerses the owners within their garden, facilitating a moment of reflection in dappled summer sun, or beside an open fire in winter.
Materiality takes cues from Reservoir, bringing steel, timber and brickwork from outside to in. Designed to look hand-finished and to age gracefully, these invite an artisan sensibility that connects with the suburb.
A significant but rewarding challenge for the project was designing it to be completely built by the owner.
It lead us to look at the drawings differently, and we utilised the 3-dimensional capacity of our software to provide walkthroughs and axonometric drawings to best help the client put things together.
In the Kitchen, splashes of teal and brass link to restored mid-century furniture salvaged from the suburb. Against a deep red island benchtop, these capture the warmth and optimism that has long stood with Reservoir.
Being an owner-builder allowed the ambition and time to resolve and update materials and details, and the result is a house that will change over time, as timber battens on the pergola interplay with the sun, and materials age gracefully.
