North of Forbes: Craftsman Kitchen Addition

This little house is blessed with a most idyllic woodland meadow as a site. Here we addressed the question of finding a contemporary expression for the traditional Arts & Crafts bungalow. Though the Arts & Crafts movement is historic in fact, the underlying principles are so enduring as to remain contemporary.

In crafting this home, we advanced the "traditional" form by way of the articulation of the interior spaces and by the intimate relationship of the house with its site. Unlike its more ubiquitous antecedents on the pages of Gustav Stickley's Craftsman Homes, this bungalow is at home only on this site - from whence came its inspiration and for which it was designed. A modified cruciform in plan, the north side of the house nestles firmly into the hillside, whilst the southern exposure is left open to capture the sun and warm the house. A retained earth patio that was built up from the ground excavated for the basement carefully delimits the house's impact on the site. Below this promontory the woodland meadow runs wild. To the east a low stone wall extends out to embrace the landscape, while overhead a Wisteria covered pergola welcomes and shelters visitors approaching the entry door.