Rosny Hill House

This compact house is a model infill development, the design successfully negotiating a number of challenges typical to many suburban sites in nipaluna / Hobart.

The clients relished an opportunity to downsize in an established suburb, finding that the small battle-axe block subdivided from the house in front suited them perfectly.

Accessed from the street up a steep driveway and benched into the hillside, the house steps up the site, a small terrace re-connecting the house with natural ground at the rear northern side. New landscaped terraces integrate the house into the slope of the land.

The expression of the main form is painterly and whimsical, composed of a taut metal box atop a solid masonry base. A playful composition of windows animates the facades, providing a graphic quality which lifts its expression beyond the utilitarian.

The upper floors cantilever over the garage level, providing a sheltered entrance. A guest suite is located on this level, carefully zoned away from the main spaces above.

An efficient vertical planning strategy places an open stair on the north face, a timber screen veiling its form and filtering sunlight on the living level. A small plunge pool and terrace are accessed from either side of the stair, allowing an easy flow from Dining and Lounge spaces.

The Kitchen is positioned at the centre of living level, carefully placed to block the house in front, leading the eye towards both corners to take in the beautiful views over Kangaroo Bay. The interiors are conceived as a crafted jewel box, carefully accommodating client needs into compact spaces.

Bedrooms on the floor above again take in diagonal views, with windows placed to maintain privacy and prevent overlooking of neighbours.

Efficient planning and carefully designed interiors maximise this tight footprint, providing an exemplar for infill development in our suburbs.