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Light House is located in Bronte Gully which is characterised by a dense urban streetscape that steps down to a verdant green corridor at the rear. The original house was a robust but dark single-story brick house accessed via a cramped entry below street level and overshadowed by the neighbours. The aim of Light House was to radically transform the feel of the home while retaining as much as possible of the original structure for environmental and cost reasons. The design of Light House centres on strategies to introduce ample natural daylight and natural ventilation throughout the home, while connecting the interior to the garden at every opportunity.

The entry of the home was reconfigured so that you enter the house at street-level, via a green roof. This arrival sequence establishes the biophilic connection to the garden and gully that continues throughout the house. The primary bedrooms and private spaces have been retained but reinvigorated with updated glazing, skylights, and an insulated high-performance envelope. The communal spaces of the house have been reconfigured to provide more generous proportions with fluid connections to the garden. The garden has been designed in collaboration with Melissa Wilson Landscape Architect with a generous outdoor dining area and swimming pool.

An upper-floor extension hosts the entry, main bedroom, ensuite, and robe. This extension was constructed from Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) which was central to the sustainability strategy as CLT provides a structural system that does not require secondary internal cladding. This efficient use of materials is part of the de-materialised design philosophy which seeks to eliminate waste and celebrate materials in their raw form. All of the new building fabric including structure, cladding, and linings were selected to be carbon negative. The combination of maximising re-use, thoughtful specification of new materials,  double glazed windows, insulation, and the inclusion of solar panels, and rainwater tanks results in a beautiful and environmentally friendly family home.

Project Team

Alex Symes

Builder

AJP Constructions

Consultants

Schilliger Holz CLT Solutions – Cross Laminated Timber

Cantilever Engineers – Structural Engineering

Melissa Wilson – Landscape Architect

JK Geotechnics – Geotechnical Engineering

R Balas Consulting – Civil Engineering

Napier & Blakeley – Cost Consultant

CMS Surveyors – Surveyors

Photography

Barton Taylor

Council

Waverley Council

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About the
Professional

Alexander Symes Architect was founded in 2014 with a mission to advance sustainable architecture. The world’s climate is changing and we believe that architecture must lead the way in changing how we utilise resources to contribute to a sustainable future.

This vision for sustainable architecture is layered through all aspects of our practice and through all the stages of a project. This starts with the examination of a project brief to ensure the grounding principles of a project support a sustainable way of life. As the project takes shape, Alex deploys his depth of technical expertise to realise the project to its full potential.

Alex’s technical expertise in building physics and facade system design is built on the experience he gained working in Arup’s Building Physics and Facade Engineer teams from 2010-2014. He has hands-on experience with construction and design for manufacturing assembly (DFMA) and a passion for how buildings are put together.

Alex has specialist training in the design and delivery of passive houses which we believe offer a pathway towards exceptionally comfortable and healthy homes. Alex loves collaborating with like-minded individuals and testing the boundaries of how we can challenge the status quo to advance sustainable architecture.