Challenge Accepted

The western sun can be brutal in the subtropics. For the summer months particularly, the intensity of heat and glare that besieges the late afternoon is unbearable until sunset. Relief comes when the last rays are extinguished and the cooling north-easterlies draw residual heat from the day. But like anything in life, reward comes with sacrifice and locals have come to appreciate that embracing the western aspect means participating in the most extraordinary time of day.

On a west-facing ridge in the Brisbane suburb of Wooloowin, elevation and aspect make the spectacle of sunset something of the central focus. When Simon and Rachael and their children, Hugo and Lulu and pup, Rocky, moved in a few years ago, the original Queenslander was in good condition but the undercroft, which transitioned onto pool and garden, was uninhabitable as degrading foundations threatened to detach it from the hillside. Charged with devising new alterations and additions, architects Lachlan Nielsen and Morgan Jenkins overcame issues of slope and sun to create a place of refuge from the heat and reprise for the spectacle of sundown.

One controversial move was all it took to unlock the relationship of house proper and contemporary undercroft; the demolition of the back deck. Family members were incensed by the idea but carving a hole in the floor released a double storey volume below the existing roof where new social spaces could be grounded in earth. Kitchen and dining areas settled naturally into the void and from here a string of outdoor spaces, incrementally becoming more engaged with the garden and horizon, were planted. Abutting the house, a pool and garden were reinstated, open to sky and surrounding these came two sheltered outdoor wings, a paved cloister running along the southern boundary and at right-angles to this, a raised deck enclosing the pool.

By embracing a “dynamic plan” the pressure placed on the brise soleil to remove all sunlight from the western elevation was relieved. “We knew we couldn’t beat the west entirely,” Simon says. “For two hours of the day it’s hot but as evening approaches it’s just magical. We knew we just had to negotiate that period of time.” The two-storey southern wall, combining both masonry and steel mesh, establishes a defensive shield to neighbouring flats while making a place of refuge from the ensuing rays. “We wanted to provide options, allowing everyone to move around the plan to escape the heat,” Morgan says.

Daily patterns of movement are largely dictated by seasonal sun angles and fluid occupation of the U-shaped ground floor. Mornings begin in the convivial space between kitchen and dining room and as the day progresses, the exchange intensifies at the centre of the plan around the swimming pool and garden. As the sun migrates into the western sky and begins its descent over the distant Taylor Range, the party takes shelter in the bunker of the southern wall. “This is [the] most private and most shaded part of the house,” Morgan says. “You can tuck in around here until the heat comes out of the sun.”

Of all the carefully scaled and finished spaces of the ground floor, it is this outdoor laneway nestled along the southern boundary that fulfils the aims of the project to celebrate “both gathering and retreat”. The scale of the space, while largely dictated by the width of the site, fosters a sense of intimacy that complements the more generous spaces of the interior. The vertical volume, punctuated by pot plants supported by integrated steel plates, is akin to a small laneway and immediately encourages groups to stand closely in conversation. Moments of program activate this long edge and a robust material expression supports its resilience to wear.

“Simon was really keen on outdoor cooking and his Grillworks was a big part of that,” Lachlan says. “The family wanted to cook outside and get in and out of the pool and grab a beer and not worry about oil or water or being precious. We were interested in one material that could cope with that. The brick, I think, has been really successful in managing all those things.”

With the transition to evening comes the final migration to the timber deck. At this place, closest to the horizon and furthest from the house, Simon and Rachael take pause to reflect on their day and time to appreciate the decisive moves that have brought big changes to their household. “A lot of houses with views are very directional but our brief was that we wanted to have some introspection,” Simon says. “Our favourite spot is the deck, where we watch the setting sun. Once the sun has set we turn around and look into the house. It’s with this perspective we can appreciate all the hard work we have done to get here.”