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Custom Laminates: Featherstone House, Melbourne
The iconic and much loved ‘Featherston House’ in Ivanhoe by Robin Boyd has had a handsome update. The original home was designed in 1967-69 for two of Australia’s most significant Modernist industrial designers, Grant and Mary Featherston.
Well known for their innovative use of materials in furniture design, Grant and Mary Featherstons’ collaborative works spanned many decades beginning in the 1940’s and also crossed over into areas such as graphics and exhibitions.
Grant and Mary were intimately involved in the design of their famous home. The internal program of the house was based on interchangeable platforms that created a wonderful sense of space and connection between volumes. The translucent roof of the original carries through to the addition, and a strong relationship to the natural environment remains a key feature, complimenting the internal gardens.
The home is resonant of Boyd’s philosophy for ‘spatial continuity’. Cooling Brother’s was delighted when approached by Grant and Mary’s son, Julian Featherston, to be involved in the construction of a ‘floating’ glass staircase which would form an integral part of the update. Julian, a technical consultant in the building industry, worked closely with Mary on carefully developed design briefs and consulted heritage experts to make ‘responsible alterations’
The glass was engineered with Saflex DG41 structural interlayer and low iron glass, creating an elegant finish that blends the glass into the surrounding interior.
“Before beginning development, I spoke to glass fabricators and was told it ought to be practical, however once the panels were documented,Cooling Brothers proved to be one of the very few manufacturers capable of fabricating this job.
The end result is beautiful, simple and exciting. People very much enjoy using the staircase and enjoy watching others, especially kids walking on floating treads as they climb the stairs.”
JULIAN FEATHERSTON
Designer
