mcbride charles ryan: cloud house

‘cloud house’ by mcbride charles ryan, melbourne, australia image © john gollings all images courtesy of mcbride charles ryan

the aptly named ‘cloud house’ by australian firm mcbride charles ryan is a fun new addition/renovation to an existing dwelling in the suburb of fitzroy north, a suburb of melbourne. the architects have created somewhat of a novel out of this previously nebulous project which had undergone a series of alterations over the past century. organized into three parts, each section in the progression through the house not only lets the user experience architecture developed at a certain point in time, but also integrates hints of foreshadowing for the next modification.

the humble street-side facade respects the original context of the site, displaying the edwardian design of the early 20th century, and holds within it a predominantly white interior with a floral-patterned carpet, guiding the circulation to the first sign of a radical new alteration: the kitchen. this red box, an exercise in 3d spatial geometry, breaks from the language of the traditional entrance sequence and acts as a transitory element between pre-existing order and the new lively extension. upon leaving the vibrant rigid grid of the kitchen, the space morphs into the jovial curvilinear extrusion of a cloud. the wood panel interior fluidly links the walls, floor and ceiling, and defines a stimulating flexible environment in which the user can enjoy social activities. the structure, although exuberant in nature, is intelligently composed of a simple barrel vault system with a seamless metal cap, and opens up to the south to capture natural daylight, while still adhering to setback regulations. with this latest refurbishment the ‘cloud house’ has been given a strong new identity, grounding it in the context of the site.

facing north from the backyard image © john gollings