Text by Annie Price
Designed by local Queensland brothers Wesley and Joel Kelder, of Kelder Architects, Bardon Courtyard House is a large 517 square metre, five bedroom new build family home. It was built on a 797 square metre, north facing sloping block, in a midcentury modern style.
The house was designed for a busy professional couple that wanted a family home in the inner-city Brisbane suburb of Bardon.
They needed a layout that was centered on outdoor activities with their children but one that could also accommodate extended family and friends for entertaining, along with suiting their home-based work commitments.
The central hub of the home is the kitchen/dining, family room and a large covered outdoor room, befitting of the Queensland outdoor lifestyle and more than likely the hub of the home.
These key spaces are arranged around a beautiful central courtyard that is open on the eastern side where it is bounded by a fifteen metre lap pool. The courtyard is complimented by two additional garden zones that are spread across the site.
These three zones of green space; the north facing front garden, east facing central courtyard, and south facing lawn and olive grove have all informed the planning of the house.
This has resulted in the placement and orientation of rooms, food preparation areas and cooking benches, windows, doors, and built-in seating to address the garden zones and really maximise those views.
The green zones punctuate the plan, breaking down the large floor area and allowing plenty of light, sun, ventilation, and views in every room of the house, in a very private setting.
For a relatively large house, there is great feeling of comfort and warmth because of the clever configuration.
Bardon Courtyard House enjoys a subdued palate, befitting the tropical Queensland style. Inbuilt joinery is light wood and interior design touches such as the pendant lights and timber room divider screens strongly cue midcentury.
The pool setting with bright yellow umbrella even seem to hint at Slim Aaron’s ‘poolside glamour’. However, high-end mod cons such as intercom and access control, discrete in-ceiling speakers, security and CCTV surveillance and fully integrated touch panel technology are far from midcentury and take this home well into the future.
The quiet leafy suburban street and minimalist street front elevation give very little of this home away. But once inside, Kelder Architect’s innovative design around the courtyard comes to life and the house takes you on a journey of discovery, all the while, connecting with the outdoors.
This large midcentury inspired family home, planned around a generous courtyard space, has an incredibly strong connection between inside and out, making it perfect family living for Brisbane conditions and a fitting homage to the ethos of midcentury modern – clean lines, a classic and understated look with minimal fuss and no barriers between home and nature.
