{"id":10989,"date":"2025-12-07T13:50:20","date_gmt":"2025-12-07T13:50:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/2025\/12\/07\/terrace-mirage-house-seamlessly-blends-indoor-and-outdoor-areas\/"},"modified":"2025-12-07T13:50:20","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T13:50:20","slug":"terrace-mirage-house-seamlessly-blends-indoor-and-outdoor-areas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rutha.org\/index.php\/2025\/12\/07\/terrace-mirage-house-seamlessly-blends-indoor-and-outdoor-areas\/","title":{"rendered":"Terrace Mirage House “seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor areas”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Mirrored<\/div>\n

Mirrored surfaces create the illusion of additional space inside this renovated terraced house in Sydney<\/a>, Australia, which local studio Alcami Architecture designed around a completely openable courtyard<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Terrace House Mirage is a renovation of a Victorian terraced house in the suburb of Chippendale, which was defined by a typically narrow footprint and a lack of natural light.<\/p>\n

\"Courtyard
Terrace Mirage House is centred around a courtyard<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Architect Victor Alcami<\/a> told Dezeen that his studio set out to “dissolve these spatial limitations and extend the perception of space beyond the party walls.”<\/p>\n

The project’s most significant intervention is the central courtyard, which expands the home’s usable area while optimising natural light and ventilation.<\/p>\n

\"Moving
A bespoke folding panel opens up the house<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The courtyard is flanked by a bespoke bi-fold and sliding panel system that helps to transform the ground floor into a fully connected open-air space.<\/p>\n

A chamfered ceiling surrounding the courtyard references American artist James Turrell’s Skyspaces while also framing views of a neighbouring tree.<\/p>\n

\"Mirrored
The courtyard walls are mirrored on top<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mirrors along the tops of the walls create the illusion of an infinitely extending floating ceiling, informed by the American Bar in Vienna designed by Adolf Loos in 1907.<\/p>\n

“The design challenges conventional notions of space and seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor areas, adapting this terrace to the Australian outdoor way of living with design solutions that are replicable in every single terrace house in Australia,” Alcami claimed.<\/p>\n

\"Inside
A pebble-lined pah leads through the house<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the entrance, a pebble-lined path extends along the entire length of the house, with a mirrored wall creating the illusion of more space.<\/p>\n

The path leads past the central courtyard to a living area featuring a cantilevered bench that appears to float in front of a glass wall looking out onto another courtyard garden.<\/p>\n

\"Arches
Horseshoe-shaped arches feature throughout<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Throughout the project, the architects incorporated elements that reflect the owner’s cultural background, which fuses Spanish and Arabic traditions.<\/p>\n

The use of metal chains, roller blinds and textural surfaces references Mediterranean architecture, while the incorporation of horseshoe-shaped arches evokes the famous Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba.<\/p>\n