The Taringa House & Studio by Rex Addison.
HOUSE is an environmental filter.
The Taringa house is set up like a Queenslander style, in a tripartite arrangement of ground plane, elevated platform and a sheltering roof (see section above), but the overall appearance is different from the vernacular types. The Taringa house responds to its specific climate of the sub-tropical and also the particular natural surroundings, which resulted to an L-shaped plan and sloping roofs that form a valley in between. It is good to know that the architecture has responded to its own context without turning to the vernacular for solutions – possibly achieving a more ‘whole’ architecture than the vernacular. It really provides motivation for true invention based on the insights and ideas of actual experiences in living in a sub-tropical climate.
The “L-shape” really takes advantage of the sun and breezes and there, Addison placed the common areas, the public spaces (living room, kitchen and dining).
It resembles Frank Lloyd Wright’s “organic architecture” – making full use of the natural surroundings and giving form to the design based on this, reaching out to the outside environment through the programming of human activities (the gardening, barbeque and the walk to the studio) and the use of skylights, ventilation and access to views. The spaces also have more than one function - they are 'shared spaces' but defined, as opposed to being enclosed.
It has a very treehouse-like feel – the wooden floors and openness to the outside. Even though it is not raised up that high, the surrounding trees give it that effect of ‘floating above the ground’.
Addison used his sophisticated skills in utilising gables, hips and valleys, which he was able to develop through the learning process of his previous works, and the Taringa House and Studio is a testament to that.
HOUSE is a container for human activities.
The house is designed for Addison and his wife – to shelter family rituals and pleasures (Skinner 1999). Old garden paths that set the circulation bears witness to the history of the house.
For Addison "the task of the architect is to address life’s needs in a direct way, through attention to the brief and some of its more prosaic demands”(Neale 2005) – so there is that instinctive sense of organisation for the ‘more prosaic demands’. The south entrance leads directly to the living room and shares this space with the dining room (see image below). Then it is connected to the kitchen, which is defined by the pantry.
But when it came to more private rooms, they are more complex series of volumes (and the plan is really hard to read) for the bedrooms and bathrooms. They are more hidden and perhaps should only be familiar to those living in this house. The bathroom is enclosed by glass walls - which is visually exposed but still regarded as private space -- ‘Bathing occurs at an open edge’ (Musgrave 2006).
Built in response to Queensland life style – barbeque, big living area, fireplace for heating during winter and decks. More specifically though, he considered his own needs (although, this came first) by building a studio for creativity.
His studio is quite large, which says a lot about the major needs of the user, which is Addison and his wife at the time. In fact, he built the studio first in 1997 and so he needed a space to shelter his works of creativity then the space for living came after.
I also like how the studio is separated by a boundary, marked by the gully to make a distinction between work and everyday activities. Going from the house to the studio is like a journey, directed by a winding path, which leads to the footbridge.
Each room also has built in seating, storage and recesses for artworks – pretty much figured out by Addison. It may have been done to save space but there isn’t much room for adjustment. Perhaps Addison thought of his own needs at the time – only the necessities and minimal decoration, rather than considering the possibility of someone else living there in the future.
HOUSE is a delightful experience.
Much of the delightful experience is resulting from the house as an environmental filter, in which Addison utilised sloping roofs and translucent windows and doors to give views to the outside and the garden. The skylights also filter light in patterns of the leaf of the cabbage tree palm and enhances the visual effect of 'seeing light'.
The house is humbled as it is built in human scale and provide small but adequate spaces for activities. However, the exposed roof beams which extends to the ceiling up above give it a sense of openness.
The materials that Addison used feels like it is in harmony with its natural surroundings.
Even circulating the spaces can be a delightful experience. Much of the indoor space is connected to the garden and the roof gables. The journey from the house to the studio would be a really delightful as you go past nature's beauty - the gardens, the gully and the tall trees which have been there for years. It is nice that the house also depended on nature to give it a delightful experience rather than just relying on man-made aesthetics.
Here are some extra drawings - the first and second level of the house.
That's all for now folks!
References:
Musgrave, E. eds. 2006. Architecture's responsiveness: Mapping change in the Queensland house. In Sub-tropical Cities 2006: International Conference on Achieving Sustainable Urbanism in the Sub-tropics, Brisbane Australia, September 2006. http://www.subtropicalcities2006.qut.edu.au/documents/Papers%20Page/Papers/Musgrave%20-%20Architecture's%20Responsiveness%20.pdf (accessed March 4, 2010)
Neale, D. 2005. Archetypal Addison. Architecture Australia 94 (3): 85-93.
Skinner, P. 1999. Jungle Rhythms. Architecture Australia (88) 4. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/ehost/detail?vid=4&hid=8&sid=f5b104e1-8b7c-4d35-8937-8e425732ee98%40sessionmgr13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#toc (accessed February 26, 2010) from Academic Elite Search.
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