Davis House in Melbourne by Blur Architecture

The extension occupies previously vacant space adjacent to the existing house and serves as a guesthouse, transitioning between a formal street at the front and a more private area at the rear.

Blur Architecture used materials including weathered copper, glass, steel, bluestone pavers, and concrete for Davis, which was designed for a homeowner who wanted to improve their exercise and swimming routine.

According to its designer, the extension was informed by the varied architectural character of Richmond Hill and the owner’s highly tailored and personalised lifestyle.

“The new wing is clad entirely in weathered copper, which helps it establish a subtle yet clearly visible presence within an established street,” said Blur Architecture principal Khalid Bouden.

“The material choices opted for ‘natural’ products that express their own colour and texture.”

The extension turns away from the street towards a garden with a mosaic-tiled lap pool that functions as the focal point of a scheme where all spaces converging onto the pool.

Landscape architect Myles Baldwin designed a garden that blurs the boundaries between indoors and out to frame views of the building and pool.

Curved forms soften the edges of the plan and roofline, contributing to the flowing circulation while encouraging water to drain gently from the roof without gutters.

These curves were translated internally to create a consistent architectural language that avoids sharp corners that disrupt the sense of flow.

The curved walls are wrapped with integrated storage which further softens the edges and makes rooms feel larger.

The programme is arranged with ancillary spaces located on the street-facing side of the building, with primary living spaces facing the pool. “The spaces are deliberately designed to prioritise privacy by focusing inward towards the pool,” Bouden explained.

“The curved shape of the TV room allows the living space to work back-to-back with the guest suite, while maintaining a layered connection with the open bedroom next door.”

A glass corridor curves around the building’s north end, providing a connection to the existing house while allowing daylight to flood into the existing building.

“The glass walkway serves as an umbilical cord, bridging between old and new and allowing northern light into the original house,” Bouden said.

“More than just a circulation space, the crazy paving forms a liminal space between indoors and outdoors,” says architect Khalid Bouden.

“The owners also bring beanbags into this space, providing a place for them to pause and relax that they hadn’t necessarily anticipated during the design phase.”

Automated louvres are fitted to the street-facing elevation, providing privacy and a changing expression between day and night as well as shading from the western sun.

A traditional stoop on the street-facing facade informs a similar stepped entrance to the new building, making it appear as a continuation of the streetscape.

The extension is fully automated with integrated blinds, lighting, and security systems centralised in a single system for complete control over the building’s operation.

The weathered copper cladding forms a rainscreen facade to protect the insulated steel panels below, while a convoluted foam ceiling lining optimises the acoustic quality of the zinc.

At the end of the building, where the bedrooms are located, thin zinc sheets are rolled to create vertical fins that soften daylight and animate the facade.

“The zinc, as opposed to the weathered copper used on the facade, provides a subtle variation in colour and aesthetic,” Bouden said.

“It provides a more restrained backdrop for the garden while continuing to serve the same acoustic properties.”

The building is completed with tactile flooring of bluestone crazy paving and engineered floorboards that provide a subtle backdrop for a collection of personal artefacts curated by the owners in collaboration with Blur Architecture.