The newly constructed, and aptly named, Binary House by Christopher Polly Architect showcases a truly exemplary design, which was created with spatial and material opposites at the heart of the project. With the addition of a crafted pavilion to the retained and refashioned rear of the original 1960s brick dwelling, the property enacts clear planning, cost and environmental values. The front of the house is one storey, cellular and private with an extant yellow-brick character, while the new pavilion spans two levels, is voluminous and public, and was intentionally finished with monochromatic grey materials to create an overt visual counterpoint.

Christopher Polly Architect responsibly refurbished the archetypal mid-century home, retaining significant details and the original footprint in order to preserve the essence of the original residence. Requiring careful and strategic reworking, the residence has been optimised to encourage natural lighting with the addition of new vaulted skylights that unify the established and newly introduced spaces. Courtyards located between old and new spaces allow light and ventilation to promote a spatial interplay of private and public rooms across the front and rear zones.

Within the new pavilion, an expansive double-height living area serves as a generously proportioned ‘garden room’, with large apertures capturing vast sky and landscape views. Emphasising the dichotomy of the residence’s two distinct material characters, the carefully considered tones of warm honey and cool greys strongly reference the exterior yellow brick and grey metal of the two distinct structures.

The updated residence simultaneously affords improved privacy as well as interior transparency, which promotes unfettered spatial relationships within the interior spaces and thereby combines the two distinct wings in a beautifully dynamic, truly harmonious residence.

Photography by Brett Boardman Photography

www.christopherpolly.com