Iron Chef by Das Studio
Iron Chef sits in Australia, a new house by Das Studio calibrated for a family of makers. The commission rethinks an inner-suburban block hemmed by heritage controls and two significant river red gums. Inside, a robust palette aligns with the client’s steel fabrication know-how while the plan respects a generous tree protection zone, translating context into structure and daily life.
Steel meets shade. Afternoon light skims timbers and metalwork as the entry opens to a tall void, its framed view aimed squarely at the river red gums beyond.
This is a house on constraints, turned to advantage. Set in an inner-suburban neighborhood, the project by Das Studio responds to heritage conservation rules and a required 15m (49.2 ft) tree protection zone, using limits to define form, structure, and sequence. The result is measured rather than monumental, a family home with quiet engineering precision.
A vacant block once prompted warehouse dreams. Here, those ambitions channel into practical moves: a simplified plan, robust materials, and a street face that respects the rhythm of surrounding bungalows without retreating into mimicry. Collaboration with a client fluent in steel pushes craft to the fore and keeps decisions honest.
Setbacks Into Strategy
Quartering the site for the tree protection zone redraws the buildable envelope and the circulation loop. That shift yields a compact footprint where volumes stack, align, and open toward the canopy rather than the street. A double-height entry void pulls daylight deep and frames the celebrated trees, binding the kitchen below to the upper level with a clear line of sight. The plan reads simple. The priorities read clear.
Street Rhythm, New Make
From the sidewalk, massing steps in tune with bungalow cadences while material heft carries inward. The threshold doesn’t shout—robust cladding slips inside to dissolve the hard break between exterior and living areas, reinforcing a single, continuous shell. That continuity grounds the house within its context and sets up a calm backdrop for daily routines. It feels deliberate and easy.
Craft at Full Scale
The client’s engineering background turns the build into a live workshop, with rapid prototyping driving key elements. A folded steel staircase rises as the project’s taut centerpiece, its crisp edges catching light and casting firm shadows along the wall. Fluted timber conceals hidden doors—one sliding to a serene master suite, another swinging to a green-hued powder room that snaps the palette into focus. Brass clad joinery warms the touchpoints.
Volumes in Conversation
Upstairs and down, rooms connect through that central void and the steady presence of the trees. The kitchen anchors family life, positioned for social spillover and upward connection to study and bedrooms without sacrificing acoustic calm. Sightlines are intentional, not indulgent, with frame-and-reveal moments aimed at foliage rather than neighbors. Privacy holds; openness breathes.
Evening cool brings the gums back into high relief. Shadows lengthen across brass, timber, and steel, each material working within the project’s early constraints to feel both tough and poised. The house ends where it began—in dialogue with the trees and the block’s quiet rules.
Photography by Anthony Basheer
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