Varella House Canberra

This project involved the design of a large family house in a new subdivision in O’Malley. The large block slopes away from the street with a northeasterly aspect and views of Red Hill ridge and Mt Mugga Mugga to the rear. The main design challenge was how to reconcile the conflicting demands of the main entrance at the high point of the block with the desire for living areas that opened to the rear garden on the low side of the block. The solution is a formal entry and sitting room on the upper level with a generous stair well which allows glimpses of the main living areas on the lower level so that the circulation pattern through the house is easily understood. All the bedrooms are on the upper level including a master suite with sweeping views. The lower level contains the family living areas and service rooms.

The house design interprets the Prairie Style of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright with an emphasis on symmetry and the horizontal line. It has a low-pitched corrugated steel roof with wide eaves, a combination of Roman-sized blue face brick and off-white rendered walls, groups of dark-coloured aluminium windows and doors and clear finished cedar elements. The living areas open up to a generous landscaped garden. The swimming pool cabana and covered outdoor terrace have elegantly detailed clear finished Blackwood timberwork.