Ainslie House

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The Ainslie House provides a new home for a young couple at the foot of Mount Ainslie in Canberra. Red bricks salvaged from the house previously located on the site are reassembled to create the walls of a double height corridor which anchor the plan by acting as a central organisational device. The recycled bricks provide an environmentally sustainable design solution while expressing the history of the site as a feature within this modern home.

Several voids located adjacent to the central brick lane enhance connectivity between the two floors while enhancing natural daylight penetration and facilitating passive cooling of the home. The central corridor continues externally into the backyard in the form of a lap pool. The pool forms the backdrop to the dining room and enhances natural cooling of the open plan living area in summer.

The living room spills out into a terraced deck which is shaded by a large existing gum tree. A planted moat adjacent to the lap pool negates the need for a typical pool fence, enhancing the connection between the pool and deck areas.

Fenestrations in the façade are located so as to frame views of Mount Ainslie, Black Mountain and Mount Majura. Deep window reveals emphasise the framed views while providing shading, allowing the inclusion of several window seats and shielding the gaze of neighbouring properties.