Erindale Residence

With a love of gardens, the client desired a series of garden rooms that reflected their new architectural home designed by Troppo Architects.

The heritage boundary wall was retained and remains a visual feature to the front garden, creating a ‘walled garden’ and sheltered private courtyard. The courtyard includes a seating alcove, living ground surfaces, a raised herb garden and citrus trees as part of the kitchen garden provision.

The outdoor dining and kitchen timber decks to the rear garden are surrounded by a series of terraced lawn steps and amphitheatre, providing informal spill out areas and an opportunity to connect outdoor entertaining to the lowest lawn terrace and the creek beyond.

The significant Eucalypt tree was retained, protected, and championed and can be appreciated from all aspects of the rear of the home. Permeable fencing to the northern boundary maintains views to Second Creek and the natural vernacular of the creek line is introduced into the rear garden, with native plantings to the lower garden and rock embankment.

Existing site rock was retained and recycled to create the embankment which supports the upper-level productive garden terrace, fruit trees and herbs, with raised steel planters as a materiality continuation of the lawn steel edging. A utility zone is tucked neatly down the eastern side of the house.

The extensive green roof features indigenous drought tolerant natives suitable for the exposed conditions. Strategic placement of recycled site logs and rocks, and gravel mulch stabilise the lightweight soil profile, and support biodiversity and habitat opportunities. The green roof improves insulation to the home and provides a reduced heat island effect, reduces stormwater run-off, provides flora and fauna habitat, and visual beauty.