A Culture of Care

15200 Sqm Building Area 
12730 Sqm Site Area 

In Collaboration with
Boffa Roberson Group
2023 Inprogress

The redevelopment exercise, while densifying the facility with mid-rise blocks that replaces the single to two story buildings on site, frees up space for generous garden settings for the residents.

The layout opens to the adjacent park, extending the facility to the great open space visually and physically. Where park meets the facility, a central open space is created in the form of a semi outdoor pavilion: a meeting point for the community and a possible gateway to the wider community.

In sync with the heartbeat of the site, firstly the layout connects with the neighbouring parkland and let the park like atmosphere seep through into the ground level, secondly the new development relates to the existing in such a way to retain the scale and warmth of the materiality, details and the character of the site.

Social Housing Project

3050 SqmTotal Building Area 
53 units ,65 beds

2023 concept design

With a total of 65 beds, effective site zoning, streamlined unit planning, building form articulation to maximize amenity and good view aspect, this social housing proposal for shelter NSW, we are happy to contribute in a small way. 

We were able to step out of the standard "apartment block" mould and follow the irregular geometry of the site, sculpt an organic form and devise effective planning and exploit view opportunities & site frontage.

The use of red brick in the exterior creates contextual reference and continuity. The top level of the building is recessed and articulated to create a lighter feel. Popping out balconies are exposed just enough to animate the façade while feeling secure and private enough to be lived in. They, along with the brick detailing, add tectonic interest and warmth to the scheme.

Rebuilding the northern wing of this age care facility, with increased density, improved amenity, and a refreshed outlook, creating a safe and uplifting environment for the residents, cares and the visitors.
The new wing of the facility is connected to the existing through a neck and laid out as a liner block along the boundary facing the adjacent park among freshly landscaped setting.

The Slender brick columns flanking the windows repeat in a vertical rhythm and create a transition zone from private interiors to the external public spaces. The crafted brick base of the building carries through a material reference and a height datum of the existing building in a much lighter hue and a modern feel. Shelving, spanning across the brick columns cut off the heat gain considerably and depending on the orientation, flexibly accommodates more shelves for more shading.

House in a House
Pannipitiya, Sri Lanka

231 Sqm  Building Area
379 Sqm  Site Area

2015 Completed  under PUR Architecture
2019 Featured in Habitus Magazine
2019 Nominated for Habitus House of the Year

Photography
Eresh Weerasuriya

House in a House is a light, airy private residence in suburban Colombo. It’s barn-like profile intersecting a house-like void has given the nickname "House in a house."

The interiors are filled with soft light filtering through a series of skylights, & deeply recessed glazing cuts out the glare and heat gain, high ceilings draw hot air up, inducing airflow, and the deep ceiling cavity creates a thermal buffer: creating a passively controlled and conditioned environment inside.

With the sun’s movement, the metal screen changes its pattern, and the light from skylights travels the walls, activating drama. Free-plan, high-volume public spaces are juxtaposition with discreet private areas. The house can extend boundaries through verandas to the gardens or shrink to a minimum depending on the weather or the occasion.

Seeing the site for the first time, with tree canopies hovering over like giant perforated umbrellas filtering morning light through, was our primary inspiration. The programme was vertically organised, occupying a smaller footprint, and leaving ample garden space, with each level experiencing the garden differently.

The ground level and a semi-underground parking area provide an earth-hugging base for the house. The ground floor is self-contained, with a small living area, kitchens and a bedroom accessed through soft green mounds and meandering paths. The top floor is a thick overhanging roof containing introverted sleeping areas privately retreating among treetops.

The main living area is the void between the base and the soaring roof. The liner living space opens to an outdoor area that runs the entire length. Raised above the ground to be on par with the tree canopies, partially covered, partially sunken, and with a casual, breezy disposition, it’s a space waiting to be.