Wadandi People
Western Australia
Designed for a retired couple transitioning from life on a working farm to life “in town,” this home supports ageing in place while bringing daily amenities and community within closer reach. Conceived as a collection of pavilions arranged around a central courtyard, the house balances refuge and orientation with opportunities for aspect and community engagement.
Subject to a prescriptive style guide, the design response seeks to balance an acknowledgement of the volume-built context while critically reconsidering it. While the massing of the house contributes to the cohesion to the streetscape, finer-grain contemporary details suggest an “otherness” beyond.
As a home that politely subverts the norm without being at odds with its surroundings – it represents the beginning of a new chapter— evidenced in small moments, like sitting on the front deck with a drink, greeting neighbours as they pass, and slowly claiming a new sense of belonging in town.
Transitioning from a farm property to a suburban block was a challenge for us. We chose a block with a bush outlook both north and south.
Blair designed a roomy, wheelchair friendly home maximising on these features with a central courtyard for entertaining in the cooler months and an outdoor area on the south for hot summer days, enjoying a bush outlook from all points.
Hydronic heating, earth walls and double-glazed windows keep us cosy in the winter.
Our block is a challenging wedge shape, and the home has been designed cleverly to accommodate this.
Blair Smith, Project Architect
Margaret River Structural Engineering, Structural Engineer
Outdoor Style Landscapes, Landscape Consultant
All West Building Approvals, Building Surveyor
Bushfire Solutions South West, Bushfire consulting (BPAD consultant)i
Cottage & Engineering Surveys, Land Surveyor