Rosscommon House - Overview
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Roscommon House
About
Roscommon House is in conversation with its past, present and future: as a house that reflects the unique attributes of its locations ‘Garden Suburb’ Town Planning, modernist architecture, and ideals of the original subdivision. A new house in conversation with the ethos of the suburb with a strong ‘sense of belonging’. My clients gave me the opportunity to provide a holistic design approach and service across architecture, interior design, product design, furniture, artwork selection and landscape, the house and its contents work together as one realization.
The interiors embrace the uneven concrete surfaces and are in keeping with the Japanese aesthetic ‘Wabi-sabi’ where we have sought beauty from imperfection. Materials have been chosen for their roughness, texture, modesty and acceptance of the beauty in ageing.
The design scope included not only architecture but also interior furnishings. This holistic design opportunity allowed all aspects of the house to reflect the important aspect of the ‘handmade’ in the house. The interior furnishings reinforce the handmade through such elements as; the heavy linen exposed hand-stitched edging, the custom-designed dining table, external dining table, bedside tables, & the family room rug. The custom-designed pendant lights to the main stair void are integrated with the fluid forms of the recesses in the off-form concrete ceiling above. The choice of floral print fabric for the living room further reflects the ‘Garden Suburb’ planning of the original subdivision.
Walls and ceilings have been designed as a series of unadulterated planes and blocks of interlocking sculptural shapes, further emphasised through services and lighting being generally discreet or even hidden. Lighting is separated from ceilings by its suspension below with only feature pendants of a handmade quality being allowed to be emphasised: as is the case in the dining room, kitchen, master bedroom and main stair void.
The timber cabinetwork and timber-clad walls elements read as one to simplify the visual reading of spaces. The fluid kitchen island bench with the hovering stone top reflects the local iconic beachside concrete kiosk building saved by the community.
SUSTAINABILITY:
This house was designed to reduce energy and water consumption over its projected long lifespan. The site orientation and the teasing apart of the floor plan provide northern orientation to living spaces and maximise opportunities for cross ventilation from prevailing southwest winds.
The building's environmental elements are integrated within the building form itself and external environmental features such as the solar panels are concealed.
The north-facing flat roof to the street conceals 16.5kw photovoltaic array comprising 50 panels that are currently exceeding pre-installation estimates by 20%. The owners use less than 20% of the generated electricity during the day, leaving 80% for storage in batteries that will be installed in the basement within two years. From that point, the house will be self-sufficient for electricity, even in winter. The selection of long-lasting, low-maintenance materials contributes to thermal mass, maintaining stable internal temperatures regardless of the season. Insulation – both thermal and acoustic – adds to indoor comfort throughout the year.
CUSTOM PRODUCT DESIGN WITHIN ROSCOMMON HOUSE
Like the building itself, an opportunity to custom design furniture within the house reinforced further stories of place.
‘Kiosk Table’:
The main dining table within the house was designed and fabricated by Neil Cownie. The detailing and shapes of the table reflect that of the iconic local Brutalist Floreat Beach Kiosk building. The design of the table was Awarded in the 2018 Design Institute of Australia WA Awards in the ‘Product Design’ category.
‘Sea Breeze’:
The external family dining table was designed and fabricated by Neil Cownie. The tile colours and pattern to the tabletop represent Perth’s cooling summer breeze, known as the ‘Fremantle Doctor’.
‘Sea Breeze Rug’– like the external table, a custom-designed rug by Neil Cownie tells the story of the local cooling summer breeze.
‘Bedside Pets’:
Bedside tables for the master bedroom designed by Neil Cownie sit alongside the bed just like obedient pets. The organic shapes of the bedside tables are intended to appear not only ‘animal-like’ but also reflect the shapes within the house.
‘Blade Runner’:
Pendant lights:
Custom-designed and fabricated pendant lights by Neil Cownie sit below and visually relate to the story within the profiled concrete ceiling over the main void space in the house. The pendants work together with the concrete ceiling to tell the story of the house’s location within the nearby wetlands, with its series of an interlocking chain of swamps and water bodies, named by Perth’s first European settlers as the ‘Great Lakes District’. Incorporated the large water bodies of Ncoorenboro (Herdsman Lake), Keiermulu (Lake Monger) and Boojemooling (Hyde Park) and many others before the European settlers infilling of swamp lands and the gradual division of the chain through the introduction of roads and freeways. These wetlands were previously a place of an abundance of wildlife and a place of passage and encampment for local indigenous people. The design of the pendant lights was Awarded in the 2017 Design Institute of Australia WA Awards in the ‘Product Design’ category
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About the
Professional
With more than 35 years of experience as an architect, Neil Cownie has reached an enviable point in his career. In 2009, he established his own firm so he could focus on projects that bring him – and his clients – delight and joy.
Neil weaves together various influences – researching sustainable solutions, referencing the environment and site conditions; drawing inspiration from historical precedents and the latest innovations; a deep understanding of how people and spaces function; and his love of textural materials and hand crafted elements – to create residential, commercial and hospitality spaces that can be experienced through all five senses.
From large-scale master-planning down to the intricate details that elevate each project beyond the everyday, Neil brings wisdom and experience to his practice. He maintains close connections with his clients throughout the life of each project, to ensure the final outcome exceeds their expectations while remaining within budget.
In the earlier part of his career, Neil worked as a director at a major Perth firm, where he was responsible for a range of project types including houses, interiors, multi-unit residences, commercial buildings, hospitality and mixed use developments, many of them award-winning.
Now, he combines his passion for design in all its forms – architecture, landscape, furniture, lighting and objects – with his clients’ aspirations to realise their dreams in built form, always aiming to create timeless buildings that will endure.
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