Kurringgai indigenous people
New South Wales
A House for Grandma is a pavilion within the landscape. The spaces are modest in size yet comfortable for functional contemporary living. The spaces provide a neutral canvas for the display of furniture, objects and of memories collected over a lifetime; there is room for something old, something new and others are yet to be included.
Within a constrained footprint, A House for Grandma explores spatial quality. The narrow entry hallway is blurred & forms a dedicated but flexible bedroom. The facade peels away to provide curated views to the landscape beyond. The light filled living space with oversized raking ceiling to clerestory glazing, forming a void over, feels larger than its floor area would suggest.
A modern day ‘Granny flat’, it is a housing typology that provides housing options available to mutiple generations within the family as well accommodating family from overseas or as a commercial proposition for the owner.
The design fulfils the brief, culminating in the transformation of a previously unused garage/garden area into a beautiful yet functional space, capably catering to the lifestyle needs of our family, both now and into the future.
More than simply A House for Grandma, this space has witnessed:
•Noisy/ joyous 20th birthday celebration
•Sleepovers
•Quiet nights of meticulous planning for overseas trips
•Zoom work meetings
•Chilled afternoons of lounging around.Future expected uses include:
•hosting overseas family/friends
•a self-contained apartment for one of the adult children.A House for Grandma can best be described as a genie that keeps on delivering.
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
