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Strathmore Residence
richardwilson.com.au/projects/Strathmore/
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Project & Brief
The Strathmore Residence was a new Californian Bungalow located in Strathmore, Victoria. The brief required almost two full floors with a substantial basement garage which would be partially exposed at the rear due to the sloping site. The design challenge was to provide the clients the space they needed without compromising the understated low profile of a typical bungalow which they desired.
Design Solution
To achieve this, roof dormers, a common element within the style, were oversized and located to the front and rear within a main roof to greatly increase the usable floor area. These created strong focal points on the exterior as well as interesting interior spaces. As a design aid, brief videos were created to help determine what size the prominent front dormer and its covered balcony could be without overwhelming the overall proportions of the house. Other features were introduced as well to reduce the apparent scale, such as a long low verandah and Dutch gables at the sides of the main roof.
At the rear of the house, the exposed basement created an almost three storey wall facing the rear yard. This was used to advantage by placing a basement level walk out gym against the garage. Its roof doubled as a large raised deck from which views to a public reserve behind the property could be enjoyed. It also created a buffer at the lower level when viewing the house from the ground.