Naples Street House

Naples Street House: A Harmonious Blend of Intimacy, Sustainability, and Generational Living

Nestled in an urban neighborhood rich with interwar-era architecture, the Naples Street House stands as a compelling testament to contemporary design that honors both tradition and sustainability. Enveloped entirely in a striking brick cladding, this architectural marvel turns inward, wrapping itself around a central outdoor garden room. The undulating folded roofline meticulously curates views, ensuring that only the sky and neighboring trees greet the eyes from within the sanctuary of the home. This inward focus fosters an intimate relationship with natural light, the sun, and the changing seasons, creating an ever-evolving living experience.

A Home for Three Generations

Designed to accommodate three generations of a single family, the Naples Street House seamlessly merges the needs of its occupants. The house is a haven for the clients, their children, and the elderly parents of the couple. The layout features twin principal bedroom suites situated at opposing corners of the house, designed specifically for the elder members of the family. These suites are mirrored in the home's alternating roof forms, which rise and fall in opposing corners, creating a spatial cycle of rising and falling forms. This cyclical design is experienced as a continuous flow, as occupants circulate around the central courtyard.

An Exterior of Unified Simplicity

Externally, the house presents a striking, uniform appearance with its universal brick cladding. This cladding extends seamlessly from the outer walls, over the folded and pitched roof forms, and down into the central courtyard. The singular material choice gives the house the appearance of a solid, carved entity, formally mimicking the low-slung pitched roof forms characteristic of the original homes in the neighborhood. This uniformity not only pays homage to the area's architectural history but also sets the stage for the unique interior experience.

Rich, Textured Interiors

Inside, the Naples Street House contrasts its sharp exterior with a texturally rich and inviting interior. The floors are made of burnished concrete, providing a durable and aesthetically pleasing foundation. The walls and joinery within the social rooms are lined with robust spotted-gum plywood, adding warmth and texture. The undulating ceiling planes, painted in a soft grey, lift upwards to spatially define the primary shared spaces for cooking, eating, and resting. This grey palette in the bedrooms allows gentle shadows from the gardens to play across evenly lit surfaces, creating a serene and immersive environment.

Sustainable and Thoughtful Design

Sustainability is at the forefront of the Naples Street House. The bricks used are carbon-neutral with significant longevity, ensuring a minimal carbon footprint. The spotted-gum plywood lining the walls is sustainably and locally sourced, further reducing the home's environmental impact. The structural floor slab is burnished to serve as the finished floor surface, eliminating the need for additional materials and reducing costs.

The central garden room is not just a visual centerpiece but also a functional one. It allows northern sun to penetrate deep into the living spaces during winter, passively warming the thermal mass of the burnished concrete floors. During summer, the garden room provides natural shade, keeping the home cool. The house is naturally ventilated through numerous windows and doors, facilitating cross-flow ventilation via the central courtyard.

A Thoughtful Floor Plan

The floor plan of the Naples Street House is as thoughtful as it is functional. The bedrooms and bathing spaces for the clients and their children are located in the eastern wing, separated from the social spaces by an axial entry hallway. This hallway connects views and light from the front entry to the rear garden. As one walks through this hallway, it spills into the north-facing living, kitchen, and dining spaces, and continues to circulate around the central garden room to a secluded lounge. This lounge, too, opens to the northern sun through the generous garden void, reinforcing the home’s connection to nature.

The design also considers the surrounding environment. The home pulls away from the East and North boundaries to allow access to northern sun and views of a majestic gum tree. This withdrawal allows a thick garden to grow over time, creating a natural buffer between the neighboring houses, enhancing privacy and tranquility.

A Living Sculpture

The Naples Street House is more than just a dwelling; it is a living sculpture that harmonizes with its environment and the ebb and flow of family life. Its design is a celebration of light, form, and function, making it a timeless addition to the architectural landscape. Whether you are an architecture professional or an enthusiast, the Naples Street House offers an inspiring example of how thoughtful design can create a home that is both beautiful and sustainable, serving the needs of multiple generations with grace and elegance.