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Sam Crawford Architects tops Sydney home renovation with “garden oasis”
CategoriesInterior Design

Sam Crawford Architects tops Sydney home renovation with “garden oasis”

By Zarkon Group,

A private roof terrace enclosed by greenery features in Hidden Garden House, a Sydney home reconfigured by Australian studio Sam Crawford Architects.

Situated within a conservation zone, the home has been updated by Sam Crawford Architects to brighten its dark interior and transform it into an urban “sanctuary”.

Entryway of Hidden Garden House by Sam Crawford ArchitectsEntryway of Hidden Garden House by Sam Crawford Architects
An open-tread staircase has been added to the hallway

Alterations to the 198-square-metre home’s interior are first seen in its entrance, where a stair with open treads and a white-steel balustrade replaces a solid timber structure that previously restricted light from a skylight above.

Down from the entry hall is a spacious ground-floor kitchen and dining area, which is illuminated by 4.5-metre-high glass openings that lead out to a landscaped patio. The patio is paved with limestone tiles that extend out from the interior.

Renovated kitchen and dining area in Sydney home by Sam Crawford ArchitectsRenovated kitchen and dining area in Sydney home by Sam Crawford Architects
A curved concrete roof features in the kitchen

“By extending the ground floor finishes through the full-width doors into the rear yard, the garden and high-level green trellises at the rear of the site form the fourth wall to the rear wing,” studio director Sam Crawford told Dezeen.

“They create a sense of enclosure that draws the occupant’s eye up to the expanse of the sky rather than surrounding suburbia.”

Bathroom interior at Hidden Garden House in AustraliaBathroom interior at Hidden Garden House in Australia
Angled timber screens and greenery ensure privacy for the bathroom

A concrete ceiling in Hidden Garden House’s kitchen curves upwards to help draw in the winter sun and provide summer shading, while operable clerestory windows allow natural ventilation.

Above, this curved ceiling forms a sloped roof terrace filled with plants, which is situated off the main bedroom on the upper floor.

An ensuite bathroom, also lined with limestone floor tiles, has expansive openings offering a scenic yet private bathing experience enabled by angled timber screens and the terrace’s greenery.

“The rolling green roof serves as a visual barrier to the surrounding suburb, whilst allowing the occupants to occupy their private garden oasis,” added Crawford.

Living space interior of Hidden Garden House in SydneyLiving space interior of Hidden Garden House in Sydney
White walls and wooden furniture feature throughout the interior

Hidden Garden House’s consistent material palette of bright white walls and wooden furniture ties its living spaces together, while decorative square tiles line both the kitchen and bathrooms.

Curved details, such as the patio’s shape and the kitchen island and splashback, also feature throughout.

Terrace of Hidden Garden House in Sydney designed by Sam Crawford ArchitectsTerrace of Hidden Garden House in Sydney designed by Sam Crawford Architects
The home aims to be an urban “sanctuary”

Other alterations that were made to improve Hidden Garden House’s layout include the relocation of entrances to the ground floor laundry room and bathroom.

Elsewhere, Sam Crawford Architects has also created a restaurant topped with an oversized steel roof and a bridge modelled on the curving shape of eels.

The photography is by Tom Ferguson.

Project credits:

Architect: Sam Crawford Architects
Builder: Toki
Structural engineer: Cantilever Engineers
Civil & hydraulic engineer: Partridge
Acoustic engineer: Acoustic Logic
Heritage consultant: Damian O’Toole Town Planning
Quantity Surveyor: QS Plus
Landscape design: Gabrielle Pelletier, SCA
Roof garden supplier: Fytogreen Australia

Reference

Barde vanVoltt draws on Japanese zen gardens for Calico Club interior
CategoriesInterior Design

Barde vanVoltt draws on Japanese zen gardens for Calico Club interior

By Zarkon Group,

Dutch studio Barde vanVoltt has used rippled mirrored glass, boulders and pebbles to create the interior of Calico Club, a retail store located in a century-old farmhouse in the Netherlands.

The studio aimed to combine Dutch heritage with Japanese tradition to create an “unexpected” but never overwhelming interior for the store, which is located in the village of Nistelrode.

Clothes inside Dutch retailer
Pebbles decorate the floor in Calico Club

“The main objective was to pay respect to the monumental 100-year-old farmhouse that Calico Club moved into,” Barde vanVoltt co-founder Valérie Boerma told Dezeen.

“The challenge was to find ways to add materials we could remove easily to keep the original state of the construction as it was,” she added.

Interior of Dutch retailer
Barde vanVoltt added plants to the interior

Boerma and her co-founder Bart van Seggelen added several organic details to the space, which has been divided into different sections.

“The floor plan is shaped like a Japanese zen garden and its traditional elements of rock, water, and plants have been interpreted in more modern and abstract ways,” Van Seggelen explained.

Boulders inside clothing store in the Netherlands
Boulders are scattered throughout the space

On polished concrete flooring, the studio placed whitewashed boulders that are used as retail displays and created elevated pebble islands above which garments are hung.

Barde vanVoltt also designed matching islands made from walnut wood. The same warm wood is also used for the fitting rooms, cabinets and counters.

Wood counter in Calico Club store
Walnut wood is used for the counters inside the store

Materiality is an important aspect of the project, with rippled mirrored glass added in a nod to the water features that are often included in zen gardens.

“Rippled mirrored glass and silver colour was to create contrast and depth,” Boerma said.

“The rippled glass keeps changing from wherever you look at it, this added an extra layer to the space, much like water, that is always changing,” she added.

The aim was for the interior to “nourish creative flow, harmony and support it with a screen-free store policy to create calm in an unpredictable world,” the studio said.

Tree inside Dutch store
A large tree adds a touch of nature at the back of the store

At the back of the store, a tree sits inside a round glass bench behind a metal wall divider.

“Encased in a circular glass bench, the tree and the fashion collection opposite is given its moment thanks to a sheet of curved, rolled metal to separate it from the fitting rooms,” Van Seggelen said.

“And at the front of the store, customers are shown the best of the collection with floating glass display cylinders filled with hay.”

Exterior of Calico Club store
Calico Club is located in a red-brick former farmhouse

The pared-back designs and shiny materials inside the store contrast against its exterior, a rustic red-brick farmhouse.

“With every project we do, we feel the responsibility to search for high quality, natural materials that are produced in a sustainable way,” Boerma said.

“These materials and heritage come with earthy tones and it suited well with our Japanese reference,” Van Seggelen added.

Rippled glass-details in clothing store
Rippled glass references the water in zen gardens

Calico Club has been shortlisted in the retail interior (large) category of Dezeen Awards 2023.

Previous projects by Barde vanVoltt include a former garage in Amsterdam that was transformed into a family home.

Other recent projects in the Netherlands include an underground house and a wood-lined home in Zwaag.

Reference

old japanese farmhouse transforms into modest hotel with U-shaped gardens
CategoriesArchitecture

old japanese farmhouse transforms into modest hotel with U-shaped gardens

By Zarkon Group,

Shotaro Oshima Design Studio restores a 1950s farmhouse

 

KOMORU Goshogawara by Shotaro Oshima Design Studio stands as a quaint hotel on the outskirts of Goshogawara in Aomori, Japan. Surrounded by the scenic Mount Bonjyu and the Iwaki River, the hotel embraces the vast Tsugaru Plain. The building, originally a 1950s farmhouse left vacant for five years, undergoes a sustainable transformation while preserving the existing timber structure. The renovation alters significantly the interior, arranging four guest rooms, a dining room, a kitchen, and ground-floor bathrooms, complemented by an additional guest room and staff space on the upper level.

old japanese timber farmhouse transforms into modest hotel with U-shaped gardens
all images by Yuki Motegi

 

 

KOMORU Goshogawara preserves the existing timber structure

 

Retaining a mindful connection to history, the refurbishment maintains iconic architectural elements like the traditional Japanese alcove, ‘Tokonoma’, enriching the space with a narrative of the original building’s cultural heritage. The interventions extend to various facets, including the creation of U-shaped inner gardens, known as ‘Tsuboniwa’, providing serene outdoor experiences for each guest room.

 

The design concept expresses intimacy and sensitivity, intricately manifested in the small courtyard of ‘Tsuboniwa’. For KOMORU Goshogawara, the design studio engages in a new front garden design, incorporating local trees and stones to craft a welcoming ambiance for arriving guests. Guests are invited to embark on a spiritual journey, resonating with the harmonious blend of history, culture, and nature.

old japanese timber farmhouse transforms into modest hotel with U-shaped gardens
the project, retaining a mindful connection to history, maintains the original architectural elements

old japanese timber farmhouse transforms into modest hotel with U-shaped gardens
the sustainable transformation preserves the existing timber structure

old japanese timber farmhouse transforms into modest hotel with U-shaped gardens
the refurbishment includes the creation of U-shaped inner gardens

Reference

Ten lush rooftop gardens that serve as tranquil oases above the city
CategoriesInterior Design

Ten lush rooftop gardens that serve as tranquil oases above the city

By Zarkon Group,

In the third of a trio of spring lookbooks this Easter weekend, we’ve rounded up ten verdant rooftop gardens including a penthouse garden in Australia and a stepped vegetable garden in Vietnam.


This is the latest roundup in our Dezeen Lookbooks series providing visual inspiration for the home. Previous articles in the series feature terrazzo kitchens, stylish home offices, children’s bedrooms and inspiring outdoor living spaces.

Sydney penthouse garden

Sydney penthouse garden, Australia, by CO-AP

The luxurious garden of this penthouse in Darlinghurst, Sydney, is made up of raised beds filled with indigenous plant, tree and shrub species.

Designed by landscape architect Matt Dillion, the plants were carefully selected to suit harsh rooftop conditions. The garden surrounds a pavilion-inspired penthouse with large windows.

Find out more about Sydney penthouse garden ›

Casa Verne, Mexico by Zeller & Moye

Casa Verne, Mexico, by Zeller & Moye

This Mexico City rooftop garden was created as a getaway within a crowded neighbourhood in the bustling city.

Walkways made from white marble pebbles meander through different leisure areas, which feature plots of vegetation carefully planted to make the space seem bigger. Curved lines, artificial hills and dense planting add to the spacious feel.

Find out more about Casa Verne ›

San Francisco Residence by Jamie Bush

San Francisco Residence, US, by Jamie Bush

A series of rooftop gardens were added to this stepped San Francisco building.

Los Angeles architect Jamie Bush used a landscape firm to choose plants to suit the California climate, which can quickly change from very hot to very cold. Among these are ornamental grasses, which are both attractive and hardy enough to thrive in windy conditions.

Find out more about San Francisco Residence ›

Veranda Roof Studio, India by Studio Course

Veranda Roof Studio, India, by Studio Course

Studio Course revived this penthouse in Pune, west India, which opens up to a rooftop space. The local studio connected the apartment’s library with its courtyard garden where a raised patio makes for a perfect space for reading and relaxing.

Practical gravel lines the ground while shrubs and trees in wide terracotta pots add touches of green to the stone walls and floor.

Find out more about Veranda Roof Studio ›

The Red Roof by TAA Design

The Red Roof, Vietnam, by TAA Design

This house in Vietnam is named after the large red bricks that make up its stepped roof, which is covered in an abundance of roof planters filled with vegetables for the local community.

The garden was designed to function as a closed cycle of growth, harvest and consumption, and grows a number of different vegetables in its raised plant beds and a number of terracotta pots.

Find out more about The Red Roof ›

Green roofs of the Forest House in Bangkok

Forest House, Thailand, by Shma Company

Bangkok’s Forest House has over 120 trees planted on its green roofs. As the roof terrace receives the most sunlight, it has also been planted with fruits, herbs and vegetables for the family who lives here.

Shma Company, which designed Forest House, believes that plant-covered buildings can help to mitigate many of the effects of climate change.

Find out more about Forest Roof ›

Maggie's Leeds by Heatherwick Studio

Maggie’s Centre Leeds, UK, by Heatherwick Studio

Heatherwick Studio’s design for Leeds’ Maggie’s Centre for cancer patients has a grassy rooftop garden as well as a plant-filled interior.

The studio wanted to immerse the building in “thousands of plants” to make it feel soulful and welcoming. The rooftop garden uses species native to Yorkshire’s woodlands, with evergreen shrubs and trees to provide colour throughout the year.

Find out more about Maggie’s Centre Leeds ›

Tokyo home, Japan, by Suzuko Yamada

Permanent scaffolding containing garden spaces encapsulates this Tokyo home.

Though it’s not a traditional rooftop garden, the different levels of the scaffolding allow the owners to experience a wide variety of plants, from a large tree on the ground to smaller potted plants higher up.

Find out more about Tokyo home ›

 

 

Piet Oudolf rooftop garden in New York

Rooftop garden, USA, by Piet Oudolf

Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf, the designer of the High Line in New York, used herbaceous perennials ranging from flowering plants to decorative grasses for this rooftop garden.

The plants are placed in fibreglass planters with built-in benches and were used to frame four different zones on the rooftop, including a piazza and a dining area.

Find out more about Rooftop garden ›

House in Nha Trang, Vietnam by Vo Trong Nghia

House in Nha Trang, Vietnam by Vo Trong Nghia

The roof of this house in Vietnam is formed by a large tiered garden that was created to offer the owners as much outdoor space as possible. Trees, plants and flowers have been planted in rows on the staggered roof.

“The client wanted a large house with a large garden,” architects Vo Trong Nghia and Masaaki Iwamoto said. “Answering this request, a single roof is designed as a hanging garden to plant numerous trees and plants on.”

Find out more about House in Nha Trang ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen’s image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing peaceful bedrooms, calm living rooms and colourful kitchens.

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