Paperback House

Northcote | Wurundjeri land
Paperback house enables a family of four, including two publishers who frequently work from home, to live, work, relax and play while remaining connected with each other and the environment.
Project team: Ben Callery + Tim Shallue + Jennifer Payette
Builder: Truewood Constructions
Photography: Derek Swalwell
Styling: Justine Murphy + Melissa Bailey
The architectural protagonist is the bookshelf at the centre of the house that celebrates our clients' literary vocation. Double-sided and semi-transparent, it connects their Library/Study with the Living rooms adjacent and Rumpus room above connecting the occupants while allowing selective seclusion.
The layout encourages interaction with the elements for natural comfort and wellbeing. The ground level is open and transparent, flowing outside encouraging play while making the spaces feel larger than the modest footprint.

Read more

Paperback house enables a family of four, including two publishers who frequently work from home, to live, work, relax and play while remaining connected with each other and the environment.

The architectural protagonist is the bookshelf at the centre of the house, which celebrates their literary vocation. Double-sided and semi-transparent it connects their Library/Study with the Living rooms adjacent and the rumpus room above connecting the occupants while allowing selective seclusion.

Raw The overlapping spaces allow a very compact footprint essential for this relatively small block and more sustainable use of resources in manufacture and occupation. The layout encourages interaction with the elements for natural comfort and well-being. The ground level is open and transparent, flowing outside encouraging play while making the spaces feel larger than the modest footprint.

The floating upper level by contrast is solid and opaque, carved from charred black hardwood. It responds to a different context requiring privacy and shade. Its form cantilevers to provide summer shade to rooms below while letting in low winter sun. Inside translucent surfaces attenuate glare while maintaining the benefits of passive solar gain. Reflective surfaces accentuate his soft light and combined with natural materials create a calm relaxing ambience perfect for reading whether professionally or relaxing.

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people as the traditional custodians of the lands where we live, learn, design and build.
© 2023 BCA Architects & Contributors
Site by Projekt Digital