Breezebrick Courtyard House

Queensland

This project involved a new extension and external works, along with the refurbishment of a late 1960s home in Brisbane.

Outdoor basketball court
A large scale mural on the court surface

A key aim for the project was to let the family enjoy a stronger connection to the site, so the everyday occupation of the house could become something that naturally flowed inside to out.

The preliminary discussion involved a long lawn space where the children could engage in active play. The design was framed up with this lawn space being brought into towards the centre of the new extension. Subsequently the owners decided a hardstand area that could accommodate a part basketball court was how this play area should be arranged. This presented a dilemma in that the connectivity proposed would be effective, but a basketball court was not a desirable visual focus.

The proposed solution was to treat the court surface as a large-scale mural, that could have relationships with other internal and landscape elements within the scheme. Cloud Dwellers has an interest in the Supergraphics style of murals pioneered in the murals at Sea Ranch in California in the late 1960s. This approach was positioned between the traditional disciplines of graphic design, abstract art, and architecture. The first aim of the design was to incorporate the shooters key in a way that would not read like traditional court markings. This semi-circle was picked out, and then teamed with additional full and part circles, allowing a language of circles that could then continue through the site in concrete pipe planters and steppers.

Basketball court mural

Colours in the Resene range were chosen because they had the muted character that worked well with the late 1960s original house. The base colour for the court was chosen as green Resene Dell so there was still a sense of continuity with the adjacent lawn, but the green also had to be different enough that it was more like a sibling than a twin. For the circular elements, a greenish light blue Resene Padua was chosen to make a link with the main coloured feature of the interior. Carrying on from the mosaic tiles of the original house's balcony, coloured mosaic tiles were used in a number of key areas through the house as a way of introducing some moments of emotional intensity. A cool colour blend was chosen to contrast the warm coloured bricks, so the colour on the court circles picked up on these tiles. The end result has meant that rather than being an eyesore, the basketball court is a now an enjoyably bold part of the outlook from the house.

Green and blue basketball mural

Basketball court - aerial view

One of the owners was a former art teacher, and Cloud Dwellers have an interest in doing murals also, so the mural was executed with both, rather than using the project's house painter. The mural was documented as part of the 3D model of the house and was set out on the slab by the architects. The homeowners then completed the painting work themselves using Resene Walk-on flooring and paving paint for the court. The fence was finished in Resene Lumbersider in Resene Double Mondo.

Basketball court

Outdoor basketball court 2

This project won the Resene Total Colour Landscape Colour Maestro Award. The judges said "this project is the perfect example of how with a little creativity and paint colour you can easily create something out of nothing. What could have been a nondescript concrete pad has become a clever colourful feature deftly encouraging outdoor play while adding aesthetic appeal. The scale and rhythm of the circles is ever so carefully planned to elevate the space without overwhelming, perfectly complementing the distinct zones. An innovative and inspiring play on colour."

Resene Padua

Resene Dell

Resene Double Mondo

Architectural specifier: Cloud Dwellers
Building contractor: D Pearce Constructions
Landscape architect: Duncan Gibbs
Photographer: Andy Macpherson, Cloud Dwellers
Winner: Resene Total Colour Landscape Colour Maestro Award
Project: Resene Total Colour Awards 2020

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