Silhouette House | Inbetween Architecture

Silhouette House | Inbetween Architecture | Photographer: Peter Bennetts

2025 National Architecture Awards Program

Silhouette House | Inbetween Architecture

Traditional Land Owners

The Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation

Year
2025
Chapter

Victoria

Category
Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Sustainable Architecture
Builder
Scale Constructions
Photographer
Peter Bennetts
Media summary

Silhouette House is a finely balanced negotiation between preservation and innovation. Rather than imposing a new identity, the project engages in a thoughtful dialogue between past and present—retaining the existing home while introducing a bold, geometric extension that is both efficient and expressive.

A split-level design follows the natural fall of the land, seamlessly linking old and new while maximising space. The compact upper level contains two children’s bedrooms, accessed via a central timber stair with an open-decked landing that evokes a playful ‘tree-house’ feel. Below, the house expands into a voluminous kitchen, dining, and sunken lounge designed for shared engagement.

Cost-conscious yet generous, the project prioritises spatial efficiency, repurposing rather than rebuilding. Modest room sizes and shared amenities reduce excess, while passive design strategies—cross-ventilation, a thermal chimney, and thermal mass—enhance comfort and energy performance. Silhouette House is a home of quiet transformation, where restraint delivers both richness and longevity.

Project Practice Team

John Liu, Design Architect
Steph Richardson, Project Architect
Hsin Yeh, Graduate of Architecture

Project Consultant and Construction Team

StructED, Structural Engineer
Floyd Energy, ESD Consultant
CFL Building Surveyors, Building Surveyor

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