New home: Phillips Road House, Deagon, Brisbane
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Simple in form and construction with a strong street presence, this modern home’s form consists of two long verandahs leaning back-to-back. The key elements of a traditional Queensland home – deep verandahs, large overhanging protective roofs, high ceilings, leadlight windows, a central hallway, weatherboards, and corrugated iron – have been reinterpreted with a fresh Modernist lens to best harness the site’s natural light and ventilation and nurture an indoor/outdoor connection. This hybrid house is cool and shady in summer and warm and sunny in winter.

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The Design Brief

This project called for a new residential house for the recently retired owner, moving closer to her family in Brisbane. It required flexible spaces that could be adapted if the client’s needs changed over time.

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Environmental Considerations

Located at the quiet end of an old suburban subdivision, the site edges the adjacent Cabbage Tree Creek mangrove reserve, home to a variety of wildlife, and is sensitive to their activity and the tidal movements of the creek.

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Architectural Response

The home has spaces that allow for both connection and autonomy. A north-lit and ventilated central hallway runs through the house separating its two wings. To one side is the owner’s private wing, which comprises a sunroom, master bedroom, ensuite, and patio. The other, where family and friends stay, features breezy sleepout verandah-styled bedrooms, a bathroom, toilet, laundry, a living and dining area and a drying verandah. These wings are connected by a central zone comprising an undercover courtyard, the entry, and an open kitchen.

As daylight tracks across the interior, the owner is constantly aware of the change in seasons and time of day. From almost every point in the house, one can always see the mangrove reserve and be aware of the ebb and flow of the creek’s tides. The home’s green-based exterior and nature-inspired interior colour palette and finishes are an elegant nod to the natural mangrove environment it sits amongst.

Photography Credits: Light Planning Media (Spring photos) & Lux Capacity (Winter photos)
New home: Phillips Road House, Deagon, Brisbane
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Kind Words

"We employed John Scandurra (Architect) to design the renovations to our family home situated in Deagon, QLD. He listened to our ideas so very carefully and then interpreted them in ways that made them so much better.

Throughout our renovations, many things impressed us about John Scandurra. However, his calm demeanour and ability to never present a problem without a choice of solutions, his excellent project and time management skills as well as his ability to interpret and listen to our needs as clients are amongst his greatest assets.

John has been an incredible find. I would recommend him to anyone and everyone."

Alison James & Glen Goldspink, Deagon, Qld

"We first met John Scandurra when we requested a meeting to explore our plans for renovations to our pre-war house at Hawthorne. We were pleasantly surprised at how open John was to listening to our ideas and turning them into achievable plans.  We found John easy to deal with and full of interesting ideas. The melding process of our ideas with his was an exciting journey and at no time did we find John forcing concepts on us.

In the event that we did another renovation, we would have no hesitation in contracting John to be the architect. We have found him to be a warm and friendly person who was always available to discuss concepts and meet when necessary. Nothing was too much of a problem for him and he always approached matters in a calm and helpful way. Our greatest accolade for John is that he is always suggesting new ideas and innovative ways to tackle a problem."

James & Julieanne Seymour, Hawthorne, Qld

"It is over 18 months since I moved into the house John Scandurra designed for me and it still delights me as much as the day I moved in. I had a wish list and John was able to incorporate those ideas into the final design but beyond that he contributed so much more. His design suggestions were such that they immediately appealed to me and I appreciate them daily.

He was open to and sought ideas from others. When the builder made suggestions he valued them and the final effect was enhanced yet the build was completed under budget. For me the project was not only stress free but an exciting exploration and development of ideas. It has been a wonderful experience and the house is much admired by my friends. "

Jennifer Peat, Deagon, Qld

Designing homes that adapt to the seasons.

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