Watson’s Bay House, Sydney, Australia : 1997-98
This small seaside cottage, grown feeble with time, has a new two-storey section added to the rear, which faces into a beautiful garden. The new element in timber, completely prefabricated in Jeffrey Broadfield’s workshop, is very strong and supports the weaker old cottage. Like in Rudyard Kipling’s Kim, the old tree is feeding off the fresh lime in the new wall. The back garden becomes a courtyard by making a new place at the lower end – it is a terrace with adjustable walls and a translucent roof that lifts like a kite, bouncing light onto the living surfaces below. The kite roof is made from plywood like an aircraft wing and covered with translucent dacron aircraft fabric. Hydraulic rams operate the roof.
Text and images taken from ‘Richard Leplastrier : Spirit of Nature Wood Architecture Award 2004’ published by Rakennustieto, Finland, 2004.
Photos : Leigh Wooley, Michael Edols, Petri Neuvonen. Text : Richard Leplastrier.
