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Architects: FIGR Architecture & Design
- Area: 230 m²
- Year: 2025
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Photographs:Tom Blachford
A Sanctuary of Light, Air, and Connection – The Hug House is a carefully crafted composition of spatial layering, material richness, and seamless indoor-outdoor integration. Designed to embrace its natural surroundings, the home is anchored by a central courtyard —a green heart that fosters privacy while allowing the architecture to breathe.
At the front of the site, the heritage portion of the home has been meticulously restored to its former glory, preserving its architectural character while seamlessly integrating a new functional program. This part of the home accommodates three bedrooms, a bathroom, an ensuite, a laundry, a mudroom, and a powder room, ensuring a balance between tradition and contemporary living. The restoration extends beyond preservation, blending the vernacular of the existing pitched rooflines with a contemporary interpretation in the rear addition, creating a cohesive yet distinct dialogue between old and new.
A key design gesture is the interplay of solid and void, where large sliding doors dissolve boundaries, allowing the interiors to expand into the courtyard. The level change between the retreat, kitchen, and living-dining areas subtly defines each zone, creating a sense of openness while maintaining intimacy.
The elevated rear deck extends the living and alfresco areas, seemingly floating above the landscape, stretching the elevation of the building while forming a sculpted edge—both a seat and a threshold that frames the courtyard as its own realm.
Materiality plays a vital role in grounding the house within its context. The solidity of concrete floors is softened by accents of hardwood blackbutt plywood, which is expressed in the vaulted ceiling beams, bespoke joinery, and the threshold tunnel that mediates between old and new. This interplay of textures enhances the warmth and tactility of the spaces.
The home's siting has been carefully considered to create a true sense of retreat from its suburban context. The neighbouring dwelling to the southern boundary is discreetly concealed through the courtyard's positioning, reinforcing privacy while maximising views towards the towering eucalyptus canopies beyond. Within the living spaces, high windows frame the treetops, filtering light while shielding views of the perimeter fencing—crafting a world that feels enclosed yet deeply connected to nature. At its core, the Hug House is an expression of FIGR's architectural philosophy—one that values fluidity, material honesty, and an intimate dialogue between built form and landscape.
