Terrarium House by John Ellway Architect

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Location: Brisbane, Australia
Area: 120 m2
Year: 2017

AWARDS

Houses Awards shortlist 2018

Dulux Colour Awards Finalists 2018

Architect: John Ellway Architect

Builder: Mat Saggers

Engineer: Westera Partners

Photography © Toby Scott

Created by bringing together layers of memories from the owners’ childhoods and their travels throught adult life.

The house began as an exercise in pragmatics. How to manage a number of existing site conditions including the overland flow of storm-water, sewer pipes, easements, planning rules, budget, as well as a 100-ear-old cottage that was slowly crumbling into a backyard jungle.

Sitting halfway up the ridge of the inner-city Brisbane suburb of Highgate Hill, the cottage’s backyard is oriented perfectly towards the north. Retained on the front boundary, the land falls around 2,5m from footpath to yard. The change in level means that the former one-bedroom cottage could grow by inhabiting the open under-croft below. The streetscape, and the cottage’s relationship to its twin neighbour, would remain intact without raising the house.

John Ellway Architect