This edition of Our Houses offers insight into two local homes that have been imaginatively remade for contemporary life. Learn from the architects and clients behind these thoughtful reworkings of existing homes, the spatial volumes of which foster connection between residents and provide opportunities for quiet introspection.
Simon Pendal, founder of Simon Pendal Architect, will present Beaconsfield House alongside his clients Jurek Wybraniec and Michele Sharpe. The result of more than a decade’s worth of conversation, this home in the suburbs of Perth makes use of sculptural form and garden to shape semi-public and private spaces.
Marco Vittino and Katherine Ashe, directors of Vittino Ashe, will be joined by their clients to share the story of Tanoa. These modest architectural interventions explore a model for intergenerational living that weaves together the family and the neighbourhood, while also creating nurturing spaces for mindfulness.
Simon Pendal is a practising architect and educator who co-leads the studio program at the Fremantle School of Architecture. His practice works primarily on suburban commissions which are small, intimate and finely wrought, seeking communication with their local landscape and environment. Simon obtained his practice-based PhD via the “invitational” stream at RMIT in late 2016, and since that time has tried to better understand the place in which he resides, seeking also to invite students and colleagues into this conversation.
Michele Sharpe is an art therapist and artist. Michele has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions, locally, nationally and internationally. Michele’s work is represented in public and private collections – currently, primarily in her own wardrobe.
Jurek Wybraniec is an artist and educator. Over three decades Jurek has exhibited broadly. Jurek has been the recipient of a number of grants and awards and his work is represented extensively in both public and private collections.
Marco Vittino and Katherine Ashe co-founded Vittino Ashe in 2006, on the belief that well-designed spaces elevate the everyday experience. Vittino Ashe is an agile, process driven studio committed to its discipline through the application of research, alongside a genuine interest in making. Their architecture strategically acts as a backdrop to the life of its occupants, hinging on spatial clarity and material richness.
Alistair and Jennifer Paterson both fell for Perth and its coast 20 years ago, coming from Tasmania and the USA. Several moves overseas had required them to live minimally in a small space; with these experiences as design inspiration, WA was always the place they longed to return to.
