Houzz Tour: A Sustainable Home With a Yoga Studio/Granny Flat
This flexible house is cleverly designed to accommodate the evolving needs of the owners’ different ages and stages
When it came to the design of this new build in the coastal suburb of Mosman Park in Perth, Western Australia, the owners were thinking not just of their needs today, but how they would want to live in the future.
Architect Simone Robeson of Robeson Architects was tasked with creating a design for a young family of four. The brief included flexible spaces that could adapt to their changing needs, plus provisions for the children’s grandmother down the line. “A key part of the brief was the inclusion of a ‘granny flat’, with its own en suite and kitchenette, and a private entry,” Simone says. “This space would be used as a yoga studio until the grandmother was ready to move in.”
Architect Simone Robeson of Robeson Architects was tasked with creating a design for a young family of four. The brief included flexible spaces that could adapt to their changing needs, plus provisions for the children’s grandmother down the line. “A key part of the brief was the inclusion of a ‘granny flat’, with its own en suite and kitchenette, and a private entry,” Simone says. “This space would be used as a yoga studio until the grandmother was ready to move in.”
The result is an adaptable home with five bedrooms and three bathrooms (including those in the granny flat), with a relaxed and open feel that will cater to the family’s lifestyle for years to come. The architects even included a wheelchair-accessible ramp up to the home’s entrance, seen here.
The owners were so delighted with their new home, they left a great review for Simone on Houzz, which you can read here.
The owners were so delighted with their new home, they left a great review for Simone on Houzz, which you can read here.
The floorplan
The owners wanted a flexible and sustainable home that would suit their young family both now and in the future, including a private living space and provisions for the children’s grandmother when she moves in at some point in the future.
All areas of the home needed to be wheelchair accessible and comply with the gold standard of the ‘Liveable Housing Design Guidelines’, which call for wider hallways, doorways and circulation spaces.
This also meant the design needed to address a slope in the site through ramps and graded paths to enable a person to travel from the front boundary to the rear boundary without going up or down a step.
The owners wanted a flexible and sustainable home that would suit their young family both now and in the future, including a private living space and provisions for the children’s grandmother when she moves in at some point in the future.
All areas of the home needed to be wheelchair accessible and comply with the gold standard of the ‘Liveable Housing Design Guidelines’, which call for wider hallways, doorways and circulation spaces.
This also meant the design needed to address a slope in the site through ramps and graded paths to enable a person to travel from the front boundary to the rear boundary without going up or down a step.
The client’s brief to the architect included the following:
- The whole ground floor had to be accessible by wheelchair.
- Inclusion of a granny flat with a flexible use (it is currently used as a yoga studio).
- Sustainable materials.
- Maximise garden space.
They wanted their home to be simple, functional and contemporary in feel. They sought to maximise outdoor spaces and keep the internal footprint to a minimum, with the architect using elements such as large doors and windows to create a sense of openness and connection.
Wide hallways, larger-than-average doors and level transitions throughout the house – plus a wider-than-average shower with no steps and a large circulation area around the toilet in the granny flat – are key features that make the home accessible.
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A significant portion of the building budget went towards implementing sustainable measures and design through all levels of the build – not just the visible materials, but the carcasses and wall studs, too.
“It’s easy to forget construction materials that are hidden from view, but when an owner is serious about sustainability and is prepared to invest in them, it results in a greater sustainable outcome,” Simone says.
“It’s easy to forget construction materials that are hidden from view, but when an owner is serious about sustainability and is prepared to invest in them, it results in a greater sustainable outcome,” Simone says.
Simone opted for an open-plan kitchen/living/dining area that maximises the sense of space within the home’s relatively compact footprint. The flooring in here is concrete.
The living area was pushed to the southern boundary to allow it to open onto the garden.
The living area was pushed to the southern boundary to allow it to open onto the garden.
“With the plot running east to west, the main design challenge was to ensure that ample northern light could access the main living areas,” Simone says. “We decided not to align the bulk of the house towards the street, leaving a large backyard, but rather create smaller outdoor zones with their own distinct uses that are interspersed between the building footprint.”
The living ‘wing’ of the house runs east-west and is pushed to one end of the floorplan, opening onto a rectangular, north-facing courtyard (which is the sunniest orientation in Australia). To the east of this is a covered deck, which receives the eastern morning sun.
This deck overlooks the largest garden, with vegetables and fruit trees surrounding a grassy play area for the children.
Perth is known for its hot, dry summers, so smart temperature control was a priority – particularly as the owners dispensed with air conditioning.
The entry courtyard features a pond that draws cooling breezes into the interior in the afternoon. Louvres located adjacent to the pond at a low level allow the cool air to enter the home, while louvres positioned at the top of the ceiling in the living wing at the other end of the home expel the hot air.
This deck overlooks the largest garden, with vegetables and fruit trees surrounding a grassy play area for the children.
Perth is known for its hot, dry summers, so smart temperature control was a priority – particularly as the owners dispensed with air conditioning.
The entry courtyard features a pond that draws cooling breezes into the interior in the afternoon. Louvres located adjacent to the pond at a low level allow the cool air to enter the home, while louvres positioned at the top of the ceiling in the living wing at the other end of the home expel the hot air.
As the family spend much of their time indoors in the open-plan kitchen/living/dining area, this was an important focus for climate control. “The north-facing eaves were sized to provide 60-degree shading. This means that, from October to March, the sun doesn’t hit the glazing below,” Simone says. “These north-facing windows were also double-glazed to help moderate the internal temperature.
“Low-level louvres were placed on the southern walls, while high-level louvres were placed on the northern walls to promote the south-westerlies to cool down the home. Large ceiling fans promote cross-flow ventilation,” she says.
“Low-level louvres were placed on the southern walls, while high-level louvres were placed on the northern walls to promote the south-westerlies to cool down the home. Large ceiling fans promote cross-flow ventilation,” she says.
The southern and western walls of the home were constructed with grey concrete utility bricks that contribute to the home’s thermal mass. Specifying masonry with no applied finish adds to the property’s robust, low-key aesthetic.
Eco-friendly timbers feature prominently throughout the design, adding warmth and texture. The ceilings are lined with recycled plywood, while the external walls are clad in recycled spotted gum that will grey over time.
“The clients really like dark and moody cabinetry, so we chose charcoal for the kitchen, which works well here, as it doesn’t detract from the feature plywood ceiling,” Simone says.
Cosy, built-in seating nooks both inside and out mean there are a couple of spots to enjoy a morning coffee or curl up with a book.
“The clients have very demanding jobs, so this home is a retreat for them to relax and unwind,” Simone says. “The timber-clad reading nook wedged into the eastern deck wall is a favourite. This spot receives morning sun and afternoon shade – exactly what’s required for reading or napping.
“It’s these little details that give personality to a home,” she says.
“The clients have very demanding jobs, so this home is a retreat for them to relax and unwind,” Simone says. “The timber-clad reading nook wedged into the eastern deck wall is a favourite. This spot receives morning sun and afternoon shade – exactly what’s required for reading or napping.
“It’s these little details that give personality to a home,” she says.
“The facade was designed to have minimal openings facing west. It’s Perth – no-one needs too much western-facing glass,” Simone says.
To combat the hot afternoon sun, the window in the masonry wall was set into a deep reveal, forming a window seat, which is shaded by a Liquidambar tree. In the study, the window has timber louvres that shade the glazing.
Sea green tiles add subtle colour to the main bathroom, which is used by the children. Adding a step to the bath makes it easy for the kids to get in and out, and for the parents to help with bathtime.
Bright bed linen in a medley of different prints adds a playful energy to the children’s bedroom.
The bedrooms were located to the north of the house to provide restful spaces away from the more stimulating living and dining areas.
The upper level houses the master bedroom, seen here, en suite and a study. The flooring in here is recycled spotted-gum floorboards.
The upper level houses the master bedroom, seen here, en suite and a study. The flooring in here is recycled spotted-gum floorboards.
The en suite.
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What’s your favourite element of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments
Tell us…
What’s your favourite element of this home? Share your thoughts in the Comments
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Who lives here? A young family of four; the children’s grandmother will join them in future
Location Perth, Australia
Size Five bedrooms and three bathrooms; approximately 269 sq m
Architects Simone Robeson, company director; Lauren Benson, graduate architect, of Robeson Architects
Builder Create Homes
Engineer WA Structural Consulting Engineers
Energy consultant The Study
Photos by Dion Robeson
Styling by Anna Flanders
As well as providing for changing ages, the home needed to be sustainable, too. “The owners were genuinely passionate about sustainable design, which allowed us as architects to make sure these features were implemented at all levels of design,” Simone says.