![The simple palette of brickwork, concrete, steel and timber are carried through the exterior and interior to create a robust, cohesive and tactile backdrop. Pictures by Kasey Funnell Photography The simple palette of brickwork, concrete, steel and timber are carried through the exterior and interior to create a robust, cohesive and tactile backdrop. Pictures by Kasey Funnell Photography](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/aXbQqPFQZXxqQVWT4Cngtq/e990e1a4-cffe-4627-9490-ae7dadd94d78.jpg/r0_0_6491_4327_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
While all architectural projects are to be approached with care and consideration, working on the design for this house in the leafy inner-city Canberra suburb of O'Connor was particularly salient for architect Silas Gibson from SOS Architects, as the client was an old friend from high school.
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"Maintaining the friendship was key," Gibson jokes.
So what was designed for the young professional couple with two sons?
The brief was for a striking contemporary home that combines passive solar orientation with a number of flexible spaces and zones, providing connection or separation depending on the activity.
![The kitchen has a large north-east facing window to funnel sun onto the exposed concrete floor. The kitchen has a large north-east facing window to funnel sun onto the exposed concrete floor.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/aXbQqPFQZXxqQVWT4Cngtq/b54e83cc-3af8-4444-895c-54704e28d382.jpg/r0_624_6378_4267_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The property's kerb appeal has been accentuated thanks to the cantilever of the upper level timber gable, which Gibson says defines the entry zone and creates a strong hierarchy and formal legibility to the street.
A stained blackbutt timber screen on the first floor window creates a sense of privacy and seclusion, while also creating an intricate shadow display inside, which shifts throughout the day.
Eleven-metre long steel beams that support the upper level continue inside, as a way of articulating and orienting the inside spaces.
There is a children's wing, with two bedrooms, separated by a flexible space that can be used as either a guest room or kids playroom.
Upstairs from the entry is a secluded study nook which leads back to the parents' retreat that captures views to Mount Ainslie.
On the back of this project, Victorian-based SOS Architects scored more than a dozen other Canberran projects, proving that this utterly striking home is not just a pretty face.
![The house has a 7.2 star rating, thanks to effective insulation, thermal mass and appropriate orientation. The house has a 7.2 star rating, thanks to effective insulation, thermal mass and appropriate orientation.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/aXbQqPFQZXxqQVWT4Cngtq/c4c2aae0-3f8e-4966-ab39-dc40c0c83bb4.jpg/r0_131_7383_4922_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)