Jury citation
Balmain House is an example of a carefully considered residential extension to a tired existing dwelling. Pushing back on the initial client brief for a full demolition, Saha has reused the existing cottage and dovetailed it into the new addition with impeccable clarity. The house is reorientated by augmenting existing window openings, taking advantage of the warming properties of the sun. This desirable aspect, thwarted in the original layout, is now unfurled; the existing “concrete garden” is replaced by formal and informal landscaping that interfaces with the addition. Sliding doors peel back to expose and blur boundaries between interior and exterior, further distinguishing the garden as a central feature of the space. Old and new are integrated through a series of level changes that circle and hover over generous landscaped areas, while delicate steel awnings run along the perimeter, unifying the dwelling.
Where some additions can feel like an abrasive adjunct to their existing context, Balmain House manages to weave a distinct contemporary aesthetic into the traditional cottage vernacular with ease.
Balmain House is located in Balmain, New South Wales, on Wangal Country and was reviewed by Casey Bryant in Houses 154.
Project credits
Architect: Saha; Project team: Sascha Solar-March; Builder: Keith March Constructions; ESD consultant: Atelier Ten; Structural engineer: Partridge.
