LEMON WEDGE HOUSE
Lemon Wedge House, located in Curtin, Canberra, is a distinctive courtyard residence designed by Sarah Truscott whilst working at Philip Leeson Architects.
This award-winning home sits within Curtin’s Radburn town-planning precinct, showcasing dual frontages. Through a carefully considered design process, we prioritised the oval and green space, the original ‘front yard’ within the planning scheme, along with the rear lane, now the primary house frontage. The architectural philosophy of Lemon Wedge House aligns seamlessly with Radburn’s emphasis on pedestrian-friendly housing, maintaining visual and physical connections to nearby public spaces.
Our design strategy aimed to blend contemporary elements while preserving the neighbourhood’s original character. Addressing concerns about safety, we meticulously planned the internal spaces in relation to landscape orientation, embracing the communal spirit fostered by the home’s direct connection to public spaces.
Through its direct proximity to pedestrian thoroughfares, Lemon Wedge House champions community engagement and passive surveillance, reflecting the ethos of the 1960s neighbourhood planning for the greater suburb of Curtin. The design ensures privacy while encouraging neighborly interactions, evident in the curious glances through kitchen windows—a testament to community camaraderie.
Strategically positioned on a prominent site, the creation of a private northern-facing open space was pivotal, both from a planning and functional perspective. The courtyard layout, conceived during initial site visits with our clients, is integral to the design’s continuity featuring a light-filled gallery wrapping around, with the single-level design ensuring long-term accessibility for the homeowners.
Lemon Wedge House boasts a striking silhouette, with a defensive yet inviting roof structure designed to shield and protect. The enduring materials—brickwork, steel cladding, and bold yellow accents—reflect durability, affordability, and timeless aesthetics. The landscaped garden by Harris Hobbs Landscapes complements the home’s aesthetics, providing a serene oasis within the central courtyard and enhancing its public facades.
Type | New build
Location | Curtin, ACT
Country | Ngunnawal
Builder | Sutton & Horsley
Engineer | Ron Rogers
Landscaping | Harris Hobbs
Photos | Anthony Basheer
Status | Complete
Completed | 2019
Recognition | Winner, The Malcolm Moir and Heather Sutherland Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New), 2020 (ACT AIA Awards)
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1 Strong colour banding defines the three-sided courtyard home with white metal cladding the top, a dark brick base, and punctuation with bright yellow insets
2 Truss skeleton: the ‘party hat’ being erected on top of the solid brick base walls
3 Developing a refined, timeless material palette
4 Pergola to the western courtyard casting dramatic shadows throughout the day
The following citation was delivered by the awards jury for Lemon Wedge House upon receiving The Malcolm Moir and Heather Sutherland Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (New):
“Lemon Wedge House sits within a Radburn-planned precinct in south Canberra, a site with dual frontage to the street and parkland. Over time the neighbourhood has generally turned its back on the public spaces to achieve both privacy and security.
A central courtyard forms the heart of this plan, allowing for private outdoor living and wrapped by a generous light filled gallery. This releases the perimeter of the home to address each frontage, reinstating strong visual and physical connections to the public spaces. Each facade is carefully curated to provide moments for privacy.
There is a subtle elegance in the architecture. The bold horizontal banding of masonry and metal cladding is incised by intriguing yellow incisions that draw light inside. The dark pressed brickwork continues internally to provide mass and warmth, further linking indoors to out,
The home is beautifully laid out, the slender floor plan maximising sun and ventilation. The modest size is disguised by the framing of a long garden and parkland vistas throughout. It perfectly fulfils the owners’ brief to age in place but will equally suit a family in future.
Lemon Wedge House is a home which returns to the spirit of the Radburn plan, contributing to both the life of its owners and integrating with the life of the community.”