Winner: Residential Architecture
Vokes & Peters, Subiaco House
Located in a leafy Perth suburb, Vokes and Peters’ winning project is a home that blends indoor and outdoor, offering both privacy for the residents, and connection to the community.
A series of discrete, interconnected rooms are arranged around a central courtyard, elegantly balancing private outdoor space with a connection to the street.
Local planning controls (and neighbourhood conventions) preferenced a single storey design, which presented a challenge to the architects, as the concept was to prioritise private open space at ground level. Through inventive design measures, the architects used terracotta roof tiles to shroud the upper storey of the building, resulting in an appearance that was consistent with the neighbours.
The architects explain that while the appearance of the home is relatively understated, ‘the site planning is a radical departure from the established norms of the area’. This subtly rebellious design provides a secret garden for the residents, as well as an unexpected layout, where the kitchen is placed on the edge of the public footpath. The interplay between private and public provides unconventional moments of connection and engagement with the neighbourhood.