The stunning Claremont abode proving affordable and architect-designed can be achieved in home design.
The West Australian
Friday, June 24, 2022
Raquel de Brito
You would be lucky to secure an entry level apartment in leafy Claremont for the cost of this stunning architect-designed home
“Affordable” is not a word you would ever imagine finding in the same sentence as “Claremont” and “architect-designed home” .
At best, you may find an entry level apartment in the leafy western suburb at a price that might be considered budget-friendly .
It’s certainly all Marina’s total budget would have allowed if she hadn’t sought out Leanhaus director and architect Ben Caine.
But after securing a block of just 179sqm, she knew she would need a custom design to make the most of the site.
“I wasn’t looking to build initially, I was looking to stay within the inner-city area. This tiny block enabled me to stay in an area I liked and the opportunity to build from scratch and get something unique,” Marina, pictured right, says.
Luckily for her, Caine had approached local real estate agents to scout buyers who had purchased challenging blocks, and Marina’s humble lot — Claremont Haus was the first project under his own practice.
It was by offering a more streamlined process that Caine could reduce his fee, making it attainable for people to engage an architect and achieve a bespoke design.
The block had its challenges — it was narrow, sloping, with a long driveway and neighbours on three sides. This made accessibility tricky during construction.
But despite the obstacles, the site’s rear had a desirable northern aspect and that’s what Marina wanted to capitalise on when designing the three-bedroom house, as well as make the most of every inch of space available.
“There was a lot to achieve within the small build and budget, so it became about how we achieve everything without compromising the build standard,” he says.
He designed a prefabricated timber-framed house, choosing to eliminate structural steel to reduce carbon emissions and cost while speeding up the construction time.
The walls, floor and roof were delivered fully insulated and membrane wrapped to the block, and the house was assembled and weather tight in just three days, with minimal waste.
“Despite the diminutive site, the result is a highly customised, spacious-feeling , high-performance and affordable home — for living, working, entertaining and creating — within an extremely compact footprint,” he says.
The living, kitchen and dining on the ground floor have large north-facing windows and glass doors that open to the garden, and a double-height ceiling above the dining table, while the home’s exterior is durable, modern and low maintenance.
There is also a guest bedroom and bathroom-laundry downstairs. And two bedrooms, bathroom and study upstairs.
““This project exemplifies the practice’s ‘lean’ approach to design, which involves exploiting small footprints for maximum amenity, and optimising functional and thermal performance to deliver long-life and loose-fit homes,””
“The resulting three-bedroom , two-bathroom house with a dedicated office area is just 137sqm internally, but feels far more spacious and liveable than the compact footprint might suggest.”
Marina enjoyed selecting interior finishes that matched her personality and style, opting for terracotta tiles to add warmth throughout the ground floor and contrasting it with olive green cabinetry and brickwork in the kitchen.
Although not certified, it was designed to Passive House principles with very high levels of insulation, double glazing and as Marina hoped, it capitalises on the northern light.
“Passive House was previously seen as something that was both unattainable and resulted in boxy homes with small windows,” Caine explains.
“I wanted to prove that we can achieve the Passive House standard with desirable cost-effective homes that reflect our indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Being at the leading edge of Passive House design in WA requires constant innovation.”
He says Claremont Haus — a finalist in the Houses Awards — sets a new benchmark for infill housing in Perth by combining low-cost materials, efficient structure and prefabricated construction with careful design.
Marina says she loves that the open-plan living and main bedroom are placed to take advantage of the northern sun. But above all, she loved the sense of true collaboration with the architect and builder and the opportunity to be included in every decision throughout the entire process.
““It’s fantastic living somewhere you have helped to optimise the design and customise the finishes. The process was just as enjoyable as the end result,” ”
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