Garden Wall House

Garden Wall House

Sonelo Architects

Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew

LEAD ARCHITECTS
Wilson Tang, Elodie Lim

LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS
Peachy Green

MANUFACTURERS
Unios, Abi Interiors, Arc Reo, Astro Lighting, Cangini & Tucci, Easycraft, Elton Group, Falmec, James Hardie , Le Veneziane Di Cerim, Lysaght, Toss B

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS
Structify Consulting

LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION
Parterre Landscape

CABINET MAKERS
Creative Design Cabinets

PHOTOGRAPHS
Pier Carthew

AREA
204 M²

YEAR
2021

LOCATION
Fairfield, Australia

CATEGORY
Houses

Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew

Text description provided by architect.

Garden Wall House is a permanent home for a family of four, a professional couple, and their two teenage children. The client's brief is to refresh their two-storey abode. The front part of the house (master bedroom suite) has previously been renovated. 

The south-facing living area (kitchen, meals area, and living) was dimly lit and cold. The connection to the garden from the living area was laborious and uninspiring.

Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew
Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew

The focus of the alteration addition works is on optimizing the layout to suit the family's daily needs, engagement with the existing rear garden, and access to the northerly aspect. Additional space was not mandatory.

The design response pivots around the idea of building a 'thick hedge' as a portal between the home and the garden.

Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew
Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew

Lined with a rhythmical grid of green battens and espaliers, the addition extends east-west beyond the line of the existing house to provide new entry vestibules and simultaneously capture the northerly aspect. Large sliding doors and a skylight frame the garden view and the sky.

In the rear garden, the paved outdoor dining, also a landing space, creates a seamless flow from the living area to the lawn and the secondary raised brick plinth seating spot to catch the sun. 

Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew
Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew

Integrated raised brick veggie beds and barbecue add to the backyard living. Inside on ground level, the new kitchen and living remodeling places emphasis on openness, flow, and warmth.

Low clean line timber veneer cabinetries paired with muted stone tops aim to preserve clear vantages of the garden.

Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew
Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew

The powder room and pantry addition gave the opportunity to rationalize the landing and dictate the transitional experience into the living space.

This is the threshold when the entire room and garden are visually revealed. Concealed behind the powder room, the kitchen can flow freely to and fro the pantry without revealing what often can be cluttered.

On the first floor, the old toilet had no window and the bathroom was poky.

Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew
Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew
Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew

We consolidated them into a good-sized shared bathroom. The bathroom vanity unit becomes the central vessel one pivots around to use the basin, shower, or bath.

The alteration addition unlocks the labored connection to the garden and daylight.

The spaces are now light-filled and inviting. There is a reborn appreciation of the garden.

Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew
Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew
Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew

Quality spaces with a high degree of flexibility are now accessible to the family whether to isolate, mingle, or host at ease, indoor and outdoor.

The experience of the home is complete. All parts of the house and property are effortlessly accessible and enjoyed on a daily basis.

Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew
Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew
Garden Wall House
© Pier Carthew


Garden Wall House
Section A
Garden Wall House
Section B


Garden Wall House
Plan - Proposed Ground Floor
Garden Wall House
Plan - Proposed 1st Floor
Garden Wall House
Plan - Existing 1st Floor
Garden Wall House
Plan - Existing Ground Floor
Garden Wall House
Isometric Diagram
Garden Wall House
Plan - Site
Garden Wall House
Rear Elevation