Black House

Location: North Melbourne

Status: Competed in 2016

A black house is not something you see every day, especially one that was not a result of a bold design intent, but an organic process of discovery between the architect and client. The project was an extension of a generic two-bedroom, single-storey brick veneer house from the 1960s without a heritage overlay, into a four-bedroom, two-storey home.

Model-making is an integral part of the design process for our practice. The client, a former interior designer, fell in love with the black cardboard used in a model to differentiate between the proposed extension and the original building, and suggested exploring the possibility of making the actual building black. Using an uncommon colour such as black creates a lot of design challenges to be solved. It is an unforgiving colour, showing up technical imperfections, joint conditions, and the flatness of a surface (or lack thereof) far more than a white or neutral colour. Creative solutions around both natural and artificial lighting were also required.

Design solutions included creating an abundance of open space to let more natural light into the building, such as three upstairs balconies open to various orientations. These balconies are curved and framed with timber battens to soften the edges of the building and blend them into the streetscape. A surprising double-height stair void also lets in more natural light while creating an interesting interplay of shadows throughout the day. Entry and kitchen pods separated by an internal courtyard let in even more light while allowing for strategically placed viewpoints through to the existing landscape. The use of lightweight materials for the cladding of the black upper storey eliminated the need for horizontal joints, creating a cleaner surface and reducing visual clutter. Highlight windows separating the ground and first floor also create a sense of lightness to the upper storey. There are precedents in the area for these various design choices: the Victorian Archives Centre on the next street also has a black façade, and housing commission flats on an opposite corner have curved balconies. The black façade also blends in visually with the dark leaves of large trees that line the street.

Photo credit: Wei Wei