Autumn House

2022 National Architecture Awards: Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations & Additions) – Shortlist

Autumn House | Studio Bright

Traditional Land Owners: Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation

Autumn House attempts to negotiate the need for refuge, retreat, and privacy with generosity and engagement with the urban context.

An extension to a Victorian terrace with a 1980’s renovation by architect Mick Jörgensen and a mature Elm tree in the backyard, in effect adds a careful new layer stitched into and around these constraints. The project attempts to sympathetically balance the architecture of the Victorian, the Jorgenson addition with a new contribution by our studio.

Autumn House deflects its plan form around the Elm tree, surrounding and embracing the canopy and bringing the seasonal beauty of the tree into daily life.

Client perspective:
How does the design benefit the way you live/work/play/operate/educate/other?

We wanted to tell you how much we love living in this special space; we take turns working in the study, with its view into the courtyard and onto the street. The girls do their lessons at the sunny dining table and eat lunch on the back veranda. In the evenings we do family jigsaws in the old loungeroom and then read in the ‘pink loungeroom’.
It truly is the most lovely house and we really appreciate all the effort and attention you put into not only making it great to look at but also great to live in.

Practice team:

Pei She Lee, Graduate of Architecture
Annie Suratt, Associate
Emily Watson, Architect
Rob McIntyre, Director for Design Realisation / Architect
Maia Close, Project Architect
Melissa Bright, Director / Design Architect