House in Ansley Park

In an intown neighborhood of mostly neo-traditional homes, this house is modern infill, abstracting the architectural form while respecting the density and scale of the context. Located on a very busy street, the configuration of the house provides privacy for the inhabitants, and opens to the rear garden providing natural light, and openness to the exterior.
The space is organized with more public functions in open plan running east to west, interconnected horizontally and vertically. All public areas (living/dining/kitchen/loft) flow into one another.
Conversely, private bedrooms and library are secluded in a perpendicular wing with enough separation to ensure privacy.

Design Challenge

The location, on a busy street in an intown location near a dense urban center, poses the design challenge of providing privacy for the inhabitants. With the street frontage due south, much of the southern façade was composed of solid forms for privacy. A central window wall, however, was configured to allow lower sun in winter to penetrate the interior living space where desirable. Deep overhangs were provided to prevent unwanted solar gain from higher summer sun angles. Conversely, the private side of the interior space was configured with double height window walls in the lofted, open plan living space to maximize the exposure to north light. As a result, supplemental lighting is not needed until after sundown. At that time, interior lighting is switched on and the living space becomes a vessel of light, softly illuminating the rear garden terrace and pool. The master bedroom and bathroom are located with eastern exposure to receive desirable morning light.

Physical Context

The site is a rectangular lot, narrower than it is deep. It fronts to the south on a very busy street in an intown neighborhood adjacent to a dense urban center. The exposure to the busy street posed a challenge to ensure privacy for the Owner, a family with young children. With that need to avoid public views into the house, the exterior was composed of solid forms with only strategic glazing, allowing light but not visibility to the interior. The northern portion of the site, screened from street view, contains garden, pool, and exterior terraces, all positioned to receive sunlight and views to and from the open interior.