Ana Mernik Looking Out Week 6

This is the Fitzroy House in Australia, with a recent addition by Techne Architects. What grabbed me about the house was the contradiction of the old and new, the rough and refined.

The back shows two facades covered in wood panels. That's the new addition, connecting the house to its natural surrounding. On the right is the front of the house, connecting it to the Fitzroy family heritage.

With that, Techne Architects are taking a stance on wood's materiality. Not only is it a natural material, it also evokes feelings of warmth, comfort, and familiarity (the opposite of the front facade).

The picture above shows a private outdoor space that almost gives the feeling of an inside living room. There's also an interesting contradiction of wood treatment: rough beams versus the polished look of wood panels.

 More blends of the "old" and "new."