SLAM DUNK
Building on a sizeable corner block meant a Perth family gained two generous living wings and the space to enjoy all their favourite sports.
While doing a U-turn on a school run in 2013, Lisa Ashton spotted a fallen-down auction sign in a leafy central Perth suburb and immediately put in a call to her husband Mal. The couple discovered the auction had been cancelled and the owners were now open to offers. Within days they had secured the site and, with it, the chance to build their dream home. While the rundown house on the site had to go, the 1470m2 corner block was just what they were looking for.
During their house hunt, the couple had come across a build by Klopper & Davis Architects (KADA) featuring an internal-courtyard concept they admired, so they quickly booked a meeting with the practice. “After the first meeting, KADA came up with an initial design that we loved,” says Lisa. “The team then took my brief and designed a family house that’s so ‘us’, it’s more individual than we could ever have imagined.”
The Ashtons requested a contemporary but warm ambience and a functional layout for their children: April, 15, Henry, 12, and Georgia, 10. They wanted beautiful spaces with modern textures and finishes, a sense of open space and the cocooning effect of a private ‘compound’ in which the family could live and play. The resulting home delivers on all three. KADA’s design cleverly takes advantage of the site’s slope to fulfil the family’s desire for privacy, separation of sleeping and social spaces, and secure outdoor-living spaces.
A breeze-block wall sweeps around the perimeter. The house itself is elevated, with a walled terrace on one side and a balcony atop a garage on the other. Stepping inside, a large entrance area features a drop-off zone for bags
and keys. A corridor to the left leads to five bedrooms, a bathroom and laundry, plus a multipurpose zone. On the other side, where the land falls away, a bridge-like walkway passes over a lap pool underneath, past an office, a children’s study and a powder room to a large kitchen, living and dining space. The lower-ground level accommodates a garage, gym and storage space. Outside, a basketball half-court, a pool with a 25m lap-swimming leg, a shaded dining area and sunny conversation pit are contained between the two living wings.
“The house is interesting, practical and beautiful,” says a satisfied Lisa. “The finishes and fixtures are resilient and have tolerated three dogs and three children really well. It’s our kind of luxury.”
Klopper & Davis Architects, Subiaco, WA;
(08) 9381 4731 or kada.com.au.