Kids Pod is a pavilion extension to an older project of ours, connected to the original via a glazed bridge. It is located on a vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula, with views across the vines and valley beyond. It contains a bedroom, playroom, and bathroom for our client's current and future grandchildren. It is a reinterpretation of how we once imagined our own childhood cubbyhouse to be: playful, theatrical, secretive, and robust.

Inside, a retractable wall and theatre-inspired curtain divide the rooms, permitting multiple configurations. They can be open and connected, or enclosed for privacy and rest. The corridor is many things: a playroom for toddlers; a reading nook for teenagers; a stage for performances. The plywood lining brings warmth and texture to the rooms and will absorb the mayhem of growing children with ease.

Outside, Kids Pod’s skin is a reinterpretation of the protective canopy of a treehouse. Timber boards run continuously across both walls and windows, CNC-routed into a pattern abstracted from our clients’ favourite Pinot Noir vines. Over the windows, customised steel shutters open like eyelids to permit light in and view out, then close again at night, the building glowing like a lantern.

A pavilion extension to Hill House, the Kids Pod is a playful reinterpretation of a cubby house.

“To our immense delight, all our expectations were not only met but superbly exceeded. The project was implemented with deft efficiency and professionalism and remained on budget and true to the brief. What more could we ask?” – Ruth & George, Kids Pod

Awards:

• Houses Awards - Shortlisted
• Small Alterations and Additions - Sustainability
• Emerging Architecture Practice ArchiTeam Awards - Finalist
• Master Builders Awards - Winner (Renovation under $200k)

Location: Merricks, Victoria
Typology: Residential Renovation
Status: Completed 2014
Builder: Elyte Focus
Design Team: Warwick Mihaly, Erica Slocombe, Jake Taylor
Country: Bunurong

Photography: Emma Cross