The kitchen features integrated appliances such as the Fisher & Paykel induction cooktop and integrated french-door fridge from Winnings.
True to its name, Park St House by Michael Ong Design Office finds connection with nature at every turn; from the materiality, to the ways the landscape weaves itself throughout the architecture and interiors.
Asked to renovate and extend the single level post-war brick house, Michael Ong Design Office’s brief was clear from the outset: to provide just enough shelter for those times that we cannot live, work and play outside.
Working through the challenging spatial flow of the original floor plan and the relationship between spaces, the design team removed the central living room and replaced it with a lush courtyard of greenery. “This design choice not only enhances the spatial experience, but also aligns with the clients’ core philosophy of merging the outdoors with the interior,” Michael Ong Design Office director Michael Ong says.
A change that significantly improved the ventilation, light and connection to garden while also establishing an effective spatial flow throughout the interior, the new courtyard now exists as the heart of the home—a central space from which everything else stems from. “To build on this idea, we aimed to enable the owners to fully integrate the garden with the interior space,” Ong says. “We designed timber sliding doors that stack neatly into concealed pockets and when these doors are fully retracted and out of sight, there’s a unique moment when the garden takes prominence over the house itself,” he adds.
Light, openness, and connection to nature underpin every design decision. From the central garden within the courtyard, to the warmth exuded from the natural materials of timber, brick and stone; each moment amplifies the experience of existing within the context of the land and surrounding nature. Flooded with natural light though the patterns of timber panels and vast windows, Ong reflects on the improvements made to allow for as much light as possible.
“The rear north-facing facade had great solar exposure but was limited by poor window placement and internal walls,” he says. “To improve this, we removed the rear facade to maximise light and enhance the garden view and opted for a low door of 2.1 to create a spatial squeeze between the interior and exterior threshold.”
The HAY Rice Paper pendant in the open-plan kitchen and dining area.
A treetop studio added to the top of the existing living room is accessed via an external stair in the courtyard–a moment that gently encourages guests to be closer to nature while moving through the home.
Michael Ong Design Office have successfully designed a home where “spending time on a deck under trees is the norm, rather than the exception”, where “the garden might colonise some of the home” and the house nudges its owners more and more into the outside spaces.
The newly created central courtyard now acts as the heart of the house, around which all other rooms are organised.
A treetop studio was added to the top of the existing living room. This is accessed via an external stair in the courtyard.
The central courtyard enhances the spatial experience but also aligns with the clients’ core philosophy of blending indoor and outdoor living.
Timber sliding doors stack neatly into concealed pockets. When these doors are fully retracted and out of sight, there’s a unique moment when the garden takes prominence over the interior and the house itself.
