The Vader House was designed by Melbourne-based Andrew Maynard Architects. The project consisted of a renovation to an existing Victorian terrace house in inner city Melbourne, Australia. The design included the existing house, a new central courtyard, and an additional entertaining area. Multifunctional zones allow the focus of the home to be altered as needed, creating a theme of hide-and-seek. For example, the courtyard facing bathroom windows turn opaque with the flick of a switch, and the deck in the court yard is retractable, revealing a hidden hot tub when opened.
[quote]The Vader House is an extension to a Victorian terrace in the dense inner-city. The high boundary walls, built in disregard of existing height regulations long before such rules were created, permitted a non-standard height along the northern boundary. The roofline then abruptly turns to follow the dictated set-back lines, resulting in a playful and telling interpretation of planning rules. All the new works surround an outdoor courtyard space which becomes the new centre of the house- accessed by a series of glass doors it is the opposite of the dark masonry-clad rooms of the old house. The refined palate of materials is subverted where volumes are removed to reveal the flesh inside – coloured bright red with glass tiles and joinery.[/quote]
