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design
mag |
79
Damian Parras, a partner in Max Architects,
and his wife Tina spent five years living on
the site in a quiet Moonee Ponds street
before commencing construction.
“First and foremost the house has to work,”
Damian considers.“That was critical.The
aesthetics then plug into that.A house is
very much a machine and we spent those
five years looking at how we work and
operate and live and then related that
back to the site and orientation.”
The building is constructed on a reinforced
slab with a suspended slab at the upper
level.The base walling is predominately brick
veneer featuring Austral Bricks Elements Zinc
semi-glazed bricks.“It was always going to
be brick,” says Damian.“What I love about
brick is that it’s an honest and very durable
material, especially at ground level. It also
works really well in terms of maintenance.”
He wanted a dark base to create the
foundation of the project and anchor the
lighter upper-storey materials.After reviewing
products from several brick companies
Damian knew his quest had ended as soon
as he saw the Elements Zinc.“Its metallic
sheen can suddenly spring into life as it
catches the sunlight, adding another layer
to the aesthetic quality of the house,” he
enthuses.
The dark brown mortar was finished with
shallow-ironed joints and the walls capped
with Colorbond
®
Ironstone
®
flashings that
drain into concealed gutters.
The west-facing block is a little narrower
than standard but Damian and Tina were
keen not to build to both boundaries.A
bluestone-paved path flanking a silver
travertine blade wall leads visitors to a
discreet front entrance tucked away in an
alcove adjacent to the garage entrance.
The balance of the front elevation is taken
up with a rumpus room overlooking a small,
semi-enclosed garden.
To the rear, an outdoor room with a built-in
barbecue connects the dining area, kitchen
and main living area with the east-facing
backyard via massive sliding glass doors.
The nine courses of brickwork spanning the
opening are supported on an L-shaped
lintel.
The greatest design challenge came on the
long northern boundary: how to maximise
light penetration without compromising the
view.The solution was to design a glazed
internal courtyard that captures the
northern sun while maintaining a garden
outlook. It also preserves the house’s
flow-though design, allowing a direct visual
connection to the street, even though the
main living areas are to the back of the
house.
The upper level is clad in zinc to the front
and rendered polystyrene to the rear.
Damian has recently noticed that the render
is starting to weather and wonders whether
a light-colour brick – possibly from Austral
Bricks Burlesque
®
series of high-gloss bricks
– would have been a better choice.
He is full of praise for their builder – Jag
Homes Developments – and the bricklayers,
David and John Albi.“The bricklayers were
fantastic.They took a lot of pride in their
work.”
There is an industry joke that an architect’s
house is never complete.The Parras house is
an exception although there is always
something to do. Damian and Tina are
currently working on the landscaping, but at
least their low-maintenance brickwork will
stay looking great for generations to come.
previous page.
As dusk falls
the glaze of the bricks takes
on a glow.The brickwork
spanning the outdoor room
is supported on an L-shaped
lintel.
from left.
The zinc-clad
upper level floats above the
more grounded brickwork.
A glazed internal courtyard
draws light into the centre of
the house along the narrow
northern boundary.Architect
Damian Parras describes
brickwork as “an honest and
very durable material.”