At Queens, a private residence designed by X.PACE, sun control is a fundamental architectural move. Now ten years on, with minor updates underway for the new owners, the project continues to demonstrate how well those early decisions have stood the test of time. The home is shaped by its orientation and view lines – qualities that inform both its formal language and its environmental performance.
“The client brief was to maximise the site potential. This specifically refers to orientation and views,” Goran Stojanovic, director at X.PACE, explains. Finding the balance between control and openness, precision and calm is particularly evident in the home’s approach to light management. With major openings oriented to the north and west, glare and heat gain are unavoidable realities, requiring a response that is considered, rather than singular.
“The solution required a multi-layer approach,” shares Stojanovic.
Shade Factor was engaged to deliver the external shading and internal roller blind systems. Warema E 100AF A2 external venetian blinds with 100mm flat slats in RAL9006 Silver, paired with Warema Climatronic controls and a weather station, form the primary architectural response, minimising heat gain while allowing the façade to respond dynamically to changing conditions. Internally, motorised roller blinds in Polar White provide a secondary layer of light control, complementing the external system.
Rather than reading as an applied element, the external blinds are architecturally embedded. “The housing for the external aluminium blinds is recessed behind the large steel plates allowing for a clean façade aesthetic,” Stojanovic explains. When deployed, the blinds take on a more expressive role. “They also form a beautiful translucent skin when they are down, providing depth to the façade.”
This duality of performance and atmosphere extends to the interior. “From the inside having the external aluminium blinds down provides a beautifully shaded, tranquil, calming setting on a glary summer day.”
The sense of considered restraint continues throughout the project. Standout moments include an entry sequence that feels almost otherworldly, with a strong cantilever projecting over the garage, and “a helical stair fully built in steel plate and floating over the gold leaf base.”
For Stojanovic, Shade Factor’s involvement extended beyond product supply. “We chose to work with Shade Factor for a number of reasons – technical knowledge, ability and patience to resolve complex details and the quality of products and craftsmanship.”
A decade on, Queens is a project that demonstrates the value of those decisions. “It is still one of my favourite projects,” Stojanovic reflects. “We are currently doing some minor updating for the new owners and every time I am there, I am pleased to see how well it has stood against time and how still relevant it still is 10 years later.”
X.PACE
xpace.com.au
Shade Factor
shadefactor.com.au
Photography
William Mallat