This North Fremantle house is a protected heritage building. “We completely rebuilt the inside and refurbished the front facade, including the original jarrah board work, which had to be removed, stripped of the old lead-based paint and repainted,” says Rob. “It’s a brand new, modern home made from an old Fremantle house. An atrium in the middle of the house gives the feeling that this home is environmentally aware, says Rob, with the outside seamlessly melding into the inside. Trees and plants work like evaporative cooling systems, absorbing heat during the day. In the evening, they lose moisture with evaporation from the leaves, cooling the surrounding air. “This works well in a courtyard or atrium,” says Rob. “The tree in this courtyard is deciduous. In summer it will bush out, giving lots of shade in the hot summer months and in winter when the leaves drop, it lets the sun through. Also, with North Fremantle being so close to the sea, the atrium provides a natural area that isn’t shaken by the elements. It’s wind free, so you can keep your windows and sliding windows open all the time.” Some of the internal cladding on this project is called paper rock, made with layers of resin and paper – dark black with a glossy finish. The stairwells and balustrades are raw and galvanised steel, finished by polishing and sealing. “We used rammed earth in the undercroft to give a natural feeling that has its own beauty,” says Rob. “It is a fantastic insulator which works well in climates (like down south) where there are big temperature differences. It can absorb heat in the THE CONSTRUCTION SOURCE AUSTRALIA
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