The backyard of Sam and Andrew’s Federation-era home in Coogee had been overrun by a large, unsympathetic double-car garage addition. The couple went to Sydney architects Harry Catterns and Sascha Solar-March of Saha with a brief to build more space for their family – but instead, the architects did the exact opposite.
Coogee Courtyard is “an exercise in subtraction,” the architects said. “We saw that the size of the existing home provided ample space, but internal spaces were hampered by a lack of outlook, and external spaces were sorely needed.
“By questioning this brief and removing a large double-car garage from their rear garden, we were able to provide much more than additional floor area, connecting the family to the outside while saving materials, time and money.”
Coogee Courtyard by Saha
Image:
Saskia Wilson
The courtyard is oriented towards the sun, with a covered verandah that catches the afternoon light and provides shelter from the weather. The space is multilayered and services multiple purposes: charging an electric car, barbecuing, showering outdoors and napping under the stars. A small shed, a place to store bikes, and deep soil plantings are also incorporated into the design. And the benefits extend to non-human inhabitants: “[The] re-greening of an overdeveloped site repairs the local context and welcomes fauna with endemic planting,” said the architects.
Because there were few built elements, Sascha and Harry were able to maximize the small project budget by focusing on craftsmanship. “We worked in partnership with the builder to celebrate the chosen materials. Examples of this can be found in the carpentry of the pavilion, brick corbeling and custom metalwork.”
Coogee Courtyard by Saha
Image:
Saskia Wilson
Their approach also saved the owners from further work on their garden. “Sam and Andrew always planned to renovate their garden, but by treating this project as an exploration into living outdoors, sequencing the design of the courtyard first and challenging the brief, the clients have decided they no longer need further change to their home,” Harry and Sascha said.
The owners say the space has become central to the pattern of their daily lives, whether they’re washing off the Coogee salt and sand under the outdoor shower or cooking Balmain bugs on the fire.
