LUTHIER HOUSE
TYPE
LOCATION
STATUS
CLIENT
SITE AREA
FLOOR AREA
TEAM
Residential Alteration & Addition
Bayswater, Western Australia
Design Development
Private / Owner-builder
699m²
58m² existing — 70m2 addition
Craig Nener
Basim Balous
Michelle Kar
Jordan Pol
A timber-framed living space inspired by the double bass, Luthier House is a home for light, music, and making—punctuated by stained glass and a soaring roof.
Bayswater, WA
Luthier House is a 40m² open-plan addition to a timber-framed cottage, designed with clarity and reverence for both craft and climate. Replacing an ad-hoc annex built in the decades prior, the new structure offers a logical, refined resolution—anchored by a soaring timber roof inspired by the client’s vocation as a luthier.
The 52-degree pitch references both the workshop shed the owner built by hand and the form of the double bass—his chosen instrument to build. Its inverted bowstring ridge beam mimics the tension of the bridge and strings, giving the roof structure a resonant architectural expression. At each gable end, stained glass windows infuse the space with soft coloured light—bookending the volume with warmth and rhythm.
A 10-metre-long translucent roof strip between the old and new structures draws daylight deep into the floor plan—illuminating the reconfigured bathroom, sitting room, study, and scullery with a gentle, diffuse glow.
The internal layout consolidates utility spaces along the service spine, while the new pergola invites climbing natives to shade the southwest façade. A curved brick terrace steps down from the garden, reimagined as an amphitheatre for informal performances—where the client plays to friends and family from home.
At once simple and personal, Luthier House harmonises everyday domestic rituals with the quiet beauty of making and music.
TYPE
LOCATION
STATUS
CLIENT
SITE AREA
FLOOR AREA
TEAM
Residential Alteration & Addition
Bayswater, Western Australia
Design Development
Private / Owner-builder
699m²
58m² existing — 70m2 addition
Craig Nener
Basim Balous
Michelle Kar
Jordan Pol
A timber-framed living space inspired by the double bass, Luthier House is a home for light, music, and making—punctuated by stained glass and a soaring roof.
Bayswater, WA
Luthier House is a 40m² open-plan addition to a timber-framed cottage, designed with clarity and reverence for both craft and climate. Replacing an ad-hoc annex built in the decades prior, the new structure offers a logical, refined resolution—anchored by a soaring timber roof inspired by the client’s vocation as a luthier.
The 52-degree pitch references both the workshop shed the owner built by hand and the form of the double bass—his chosen instrument to build. Its inverted bowstring ridge beam mimics the tension of the bridge and strings, giving the roof structure a resonant architectural expression. At each gable end, stained glass windows infuse the space with soft coloured light—bookending the volume with warmth and rhythm.
A 10-metre-long translucent roof strip between the old and new structures draws daylight deep into the floor plan—illuminating the reconfigured bathroom, sitting room, study, and scullery with a gentle, diffuse glow.
The internal layout consolidates utility spaces along the service spine, while the new pergola invites climbing natives to shade the southwest façade. A curved brick terrace steps down from the garden, reimagined as an amphitheatre for informal performances—where the client plays to friends and family from home.
At once simple and personal, Luthier House harmonises everyday domestic rituals with the quiet beauty of making and music.
TYPE
LOCATION
STATUS
CLIENT
SITE AREA
FLOOR AREA
TEAM
Residential Alteration & Addition
Bayswater, Western Australia
Design Development
Private / Owner-builder
699m²
58m² existing — 70m2 addition
Craig Nener
Basim Balous
Michelle Kar
Jordan Pol
A timber-framed living space inspired by the double bass, Luthier House is a home for light, music, and making—punctuated by stained glass and a soaring roof.
Bayswater, WA
Luthier House is a 40m² open-plan addition to a timber-framed cottage, designed with clarity and reverence for both craft and climate. Replacing an ad-hoc annex built in the decades prior, the new structure offers a logical, refined resolution—anchored by a soaring timber roof inspired by the client’s vocation as a luthier.
The 52-degree pitch references both the workshop shed the owner built by hand and the form of the double bass—his chosen instrument to build. Its inverted bowstring ridge beam mimics the tension of the bridge and strings, giving the roof structure a resonant architectural expression. At each gable end, stained glass windows infuse the space with soft coloured light—bookending the volume with warmth and rhythm.
A 10-metre-long translucent roof strip between the old and new structures draws daylight deep into the floor plan—illuminating the reconfigured bathroom, sitting room, study, and scullery with a gentle, diffuse glow.
The internal layout consolidates utility spaces along the service spine, while the new pergola invites climbing natives to shade the southwest façade. A curved brick terrace steps down from the garden, reimagined as an amphitheatre for informal performances—where the client plays to friends and family from home.
At once simple and personal, Luthier House harmonises everyday domestic rituals with the quiet beauty of making and music.