Line of sight

All the better to see through – this suburban residence features two glass pavilions separated by an outdoor terrace and a 25mt lap pool.

- Colleen Hawkes

As older homes in Perth’s established suburbs give way to new, the architectural typology changes. But it’s not just what you see from the street that spells change — what’s happening on the inside can be even more significant, and it’s all about lifestyle.

This new house replaces a tired older home in a leafy suburb where most of the properties are large.

Architect Craig Steere of Craig Steere Architects was commissioned to design a home suitable for a family with four mature sons. The house needed to provide separate spaces for the parents and younger members of the family, but it also needed communal areas where everyone could be together.

These requirements determined both the look and form of the house. With the site measuring 60mt from front to back, the architects conceived the house as a long volume comprising two linked glass pavilions — one a formal living area and private retreat for the parents at the front, the other a family zone at the rear.

“The glass pavilions meet the need for plenty of natural light,” says Steere. “They also allow a transparency through the house, so even though the two living areas are separate, there is a visual connection.”