Project
GoodWood Victorian ash is known to have nearly unbeatable properties as a window timber. Hard wearing, stable, knot free, great thermal performance, easy to paint or stain and is regularly seen performing in homes 100 years after they were built. It truly is the high performance timber for which we understand it to be. But GoodWood Victorian ash doesn’t just ‘perform’, the hardwood is also strikingly beautiful in ways that are limited only by the designer.
On the front cover of Houses Magazine (issue 108) sits a stunning example of just how beautiful a hardwood window can be. Hoddle House by Freadman White Architects uses windows and doors in a dwelling upgrade that combines a 1930s home and a 1970’s renovation. ‘Conscious of architectures potential to positively contribute to individual lives and the wider urban plan’, Ilana Freadman and Michael White of Freadman White explain how they ‘express formal outcomes through high standards of construction, durable materials and energy efficient solutions’.
We talk with Freadman White about their material selection – in particular, hardwood windows. “A pared back palette of stained Victorian Ash window frames and French Oak flooring, with oxide tinted grey brick were the essential elements of Hoddle House” Say Freadman White. “The decision to select Australian hardwood was based on its hard-wearing properties and timeless elegance, which matched with our practice philosophy of building with longevity in mind. We have found that timber has a warmth unmatched by other window framing materials. Because the dark brick external walls of Hoddle House impart quite a solid first appearance, it became very important that the window punctures offered a counterpoint of warmth, domesticity, and lightness. We saw a light coloured KD, such as Victorian Ash as the clear way to go. The timber has been stained with ‘grey mist’ to provide a non-yellowing UV barrier and maintain the tonal match with the brickwork.”
Photographer: Jeremy Wright
Project Details:
Address: 44 Hoddle Street, Elsternwick
Cost: $470,000
Size: 250sqm
Project Partners:
Builder: Fedderson Pty Ltd
Window Manufacturer: Future Windows
Joinery: Tibco Designs, Melbourne
