Architect Fooi-Ling Khoo makes houses that engage with the street

Fooi-Ling Khoo is making a name for houses that engage with the street.

The Malaysian-born architect, who moved to Brisbane with her family as a child, worked with leading architect practices before opening OOF! architecture in St Kilda.

Acute House, her most recent project, really is “a cute” house by name and geometry. Odds-on to become an Albert Park landmark, the slender ship-shaped home on a tiny parcel of land evokes a prow cutting through the bay.

The walls are layered with evidence of the journey. There are no barnacles in sight but the external aluminium cladding is interspersed with materials saved from the early-century house that was demolished on the site.

“It was actually leaning over, it was a public menace,” Fooi-Ling says. Despite its decrepitude, she recognised beauty in the warped boards and flaking paint.

The owners, builder Michael Briese and interior designer Jessica Payne, agreed. Michael’s know-how and appreciation of the building’s past was the key to the idea of preserving what they could.

Architect Fooi-Ling Khoo. Photo: Michael Rayner.

“In the past he’d had to knock down things he thought were beautiful,” she says, “so he was happy to go with it.”

Weathered boards and random hardware such as the post box, slot and doorknobs were removed, labelled and stored. The owner was fully involved as he built the new house. The result is a unique new home embedded with history.

“I think what makes it interesting is the layering up. I know some people prefer to expunge the ghosts of the past, but I think that’s really dull.”

A creative collaboration was also key to Richmond’s Hello House, a popular place to visit during last year’s Melbourne Open House day.

The outside of that house was designed to engage directly with neighbours, a subversion, if you like, of high walls that can discourage friendly chit-chat.

An external wall sports the greeting “Hello”, the result of a collaboration with artist Rose Nolan, who specialises in graphics. A slender window cut into the “O” adds another dash of personality and allows the owners to harness a much-loved view.

After: Acute House is a landmark in the making.

“A lot has been written about Hello House,” Fooi-Ling says. “I think because it’s cute, sweet and happy.”

Like the interior of Hello House, Acute House is clad in ply that gives it a sense of warmth and domesticity. But the key is a green staircase that winds up from the entrance lobby, connecting visitors to various half-levels including living areas, a balcony and bedroom.

The staircase maximises the space, she says, because it does away with space-wasters such as corridors and doors.

Hello House.

“The inside and outside are really quite different. When people come in they are quite surprised to see the finishes. The outside is obviously the old house with the weird peeling wood, and aluminium cladding, but inside it’s like a plywood box with a lime-green carpet.”

Fooi-Ling’s approach to design is based on working with what you’ve got, be it the budget, the site or the client.

“I remember going to a lecture by Kerstin Thompson when she was a young designer, and her talking about how design constraints are your friend.

“We were aghast because as students we thought that constraints ruined our creativity. But since practising, I know she’s absolutely right. I love the constraints – the work is generated and inspired by them.”

Fooi-Ling wears many hats. She is a co-founder of film society Dado and a director of ArchiTeam, the voice of small, medium and emerging architecture firms.

• oof.net.au
• robinboyd.org.au/dado
• architeam.net.au

This story originally appeared on theweeklyreview.com.au