The clients, a professional couple, aspired to an idyllic, minimalist sanctuary — with abundant natural light on the south-facing site. Although the property deserved substantial improvement, their brief was for a modest three bedroom home on a similar footprint to the existing house. This was not an extension, but a reconfiguration.
The clients’ sincere belief in zen principles called for an east-facing yoga studio/ study— and an onsen/ ensuite connected to nature. Two designated working spaces were also required.
A property-specific covenant dictated an external material palette consistent with the existing house of bricks and terracotta roof tiles. An added complexity was the long driveway down the western side of the house: this increased the “frontage” visible from the street. These constraints ultimately drove our design solution: to maintain the existing roof line while carving out a large courtyard from the eastern side of the house.