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Architects: Krisna Cheung Architects
- Area: 50 m²
- Year: 2017
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Photographs:Nic Granleese
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Manufacturers: Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH), Ampelite, Hazelwood & Hill Timber, Rapid Perforating
Text description provided by the architects. The line dividing work and personal life are getting blurry in this age of technology, and it’s no exception for architects. This personal project, the extension to the previous Studio Garage project, utilizes similar facade but for a different purpose, and therefore, a different type of commercial space is built inside it.
Blurring the line between work and home life is exactly the desire behind this project. We aim to bring together the seriousness of work with the playfulness of our children, thus the Cubby Office, which allows us to monitor and connect with the kids during working hours. It is made possible by the perforated metal sheet which is used as the floor for the upper level. It serves as the element of surprise and playfulness -which identify it as the cubby space. It achieves both aesthetic and functional purpose; the translucent floor creates a feeling of soaring high ceiling for the otherwise tight space.
The semi-solid floor also allows a more efficient use of lighting and energy, whether it’s the heat coming from the ground floor or the cool air from the air conditioning on the upper floor. It moderates the building’s temperature as a whole. Surprise and playfulness continue to be the theme for this construction even to the functional part. Every nook and cranny is maximised as storage with shadow lines as a handle, giving them the illusion of being secretive.
Then there is the “secret” deck, meant to replace the outdoor courtyard where the Cubby Office now stands. The unassuming space takes advantage of the vantage point to city skyline where the family can enjoy the unobstructed views of New Year’s Eve fireworks and celebrate the alliance of their work and home life.
