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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. Doll’s House in Victoria, Australia by BKK ArchitectsJuly 16th, 2015 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: BKK Architects Dolls House is an idea about providing flexible, highly sustainable living that is responsive to its context and able to adapt to the changing needs of a family over a long life-span. The first known Doll’s house, originally called a ‘baby house’ in 1557 was a showcase for local creatives and craftspeople to display their wares. The Dolls House later became a play thing for children; a space of imagination. Shared ideas of creativity, craftsmanship, play and imagination underpin this house, whilst also mirroring the flexibility of the Doll’s house where a bedroom can become a living room or dining room by simply moving furniture or joinery. The new addition is largely made up of two spaces stacked upon each other, with no doors or walls, just furniture and joinery to divide space and imply use. The two levels of the house are treated quite distinctly; the lower sunk below grade and heavily grounded, whilst the upper is soaring into the treetops. The new addition frees up the plan of the old house where the former living and dining areas have become a flexible buffer space with an artist studio and playroom that place creativity and play at the centre of the home.  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen
 Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen There is a nostalgic reference to the child’s simple drawing of a house in its most basic form, with smoke billowing out of the chimney, a place of happiness and content. The façade is based on the opening credits of the children’s program Playschool where every window is different and provides a portal into some other world. The interior space of the house can be fully opened and extended to the landscape beyond. Materials have been carefully chosen for their ability to demonstrate a level of craft; from oversized exposed timber beams to hand-painted tiles by the owner.  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen Sustainably the house is rethought from first principles; transforming a drafty, uninsulated timber bungalow into a well-performing house of the future. The house is reorientated to the north and employs: perfect solar access, an R7 insulated fabric, highly sealed envelope, thermal mass, low VOC materials and excellent cross ventilation. The lighting is custom designed and manufactured lowenergy LED that is fully integrated into the built fabric. The striped façade is borrowed from zebras, the only equine animal to live in the savannahs. When captured by thermal imaging, the zebra stripes show large temperature differential across the different colours, creating small currents of airflow across their bodies. The landscaping is practical and largely drought tolerant, with the use of grey water re-cycling to water the fruit trees and an underground rain water tank to water the vegetables. There is a combination of wildflowers, Succulents and natives interspersed with edible plants and vegetables like tomatoes, pumpkins and beans. The two circular concrete planters out the front are repurposed water tanks without the top and bottom.  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen 1. Describe the interior design project Dolls House is a materially rich project providing flexible, highly sustainable living that is responsive to its context and able to adapt to the changing needs of a family over a long life-span. The first known Doll’s house, from 1557 was a showcase for local creatives and craftspeople to display their wares. The Dolls House later became a play thing for children; a space of imagination. Shared ideas of creativity, craftsmanship, play and imagination underpin this house, whilst also mirroring the flexibility of the Doll’s house where a bedroom can become a living room or dining room by simply moving furniture or joinery. The new addition is made up of two spaces stacked upon each other, with no doors or walls, just furniture and joinery to divide space and imply use. Materials are chosen for their demonstration of craft. The levels of the house are treated quite distinctly; the lower sunk below grade and heavily grounded, whilst the upper is soaring into the treetops. Reimaging the old house means former living and dining rooms have become a flexible buffer space with an artist studio and playroom that firmly anchor creativity and play at the centre of the home.  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen 2. Describe why the project is an example of excellent interior design A nostalgic reference to a child’s simple drawing of a house in its most basic form, a place of happiness and content. The openable façade is based on the opening credits of the children’s program Playschool where every window is different and provides a portal into some other world; and where the interior space can be extended to the landscape. Materials have been chosen for their ability to demonstrate levels of craft; from oversized exposed timber beams to hand-painted tiles by the owner. Sustainably the house is rethought from first principles; transforming a drafty, uninsulated bungalow into a well-performing house of the future. The house is reorientated to the north and employs: perfect solar access, an R7 insulated fabric, highly sealed envelope, thermal mass, low VOC materials and excellent cross ventilation. The lighting is custom designed and manufactured lowenergy LED that is integrated into the built fabric.  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen 3. What are the truly innovative aspects of the design of this project This project reimagines spaces for living as space that is constantly in flux; space that can change as quickly as the rooms in a Dolls house. Rooms are not defined but rather implied. The ‘mark of the craftsperson’ is everywhere from the carpenter’s mortised beams to the Kitchen tiles that were hand painted by the owner.  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen The striped façade is borrowed from zebras, the only equine animal to live in the savannahs. When captured by thermal imaging, the zebra stripes show large temperature differential across the different colours, creating small currents of airflow across their bodies.  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen  Image Courtesy © Shannon Mayen  Image Courtesy © BKK Architects  Image Courtesy © BKK Architects  Image Courtesy © BKK Architects  Image Courtesy © BKK Architects  Image Courtesy © BKK Architects  Image Courtesy © BKK Architects
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