Creating a personal connection to the heritage of the client, the house on Cassell Street is referential of an ancient Byzantine building. The strong rectilinear form, made from natural stone, has a quality of looking older than it is – as though it could have been standing in the same place unchanged for a hundred years or existed in another world all together.
Positioned on a corner block, the façade uses bespoke materials on the upper level appropriate for its high visibility from the street. The subtle bandings of travertine is made up from 10 different sized slabs of stone hand selected from opposite sides of the same quarry to produce two distinct tones. The deep apertures formed on the first floor make the building read as a singular and massive stone edifice and in doing so shelter the western windows as well as protecting the occupant from the nearby traffic. The upper volume is supported by a slightly recessed base finished in a complimentary neutral tone render to create continuous banding across the entire building. Inward facing areas tucked underneath the first level are characterised by expansive glazing that opens the living areas to a secluded garden space which surrounds the building.