The Gadigal people of the Eora Nation
New South Wales
Located adjacent to Taylor Square in the inner-city suburb of Darlinghurst, the project is considered more as a continuation of existing city fabric rather than an exercise of architectural expression.Â
The project is formed by two distinct structures with limited physical connection. These structures have varying priorities regarding context and organisation, resulting in a rich spatial arrangement.
The irregular shape of the site and the subsequent planning results in several interstitial spaces. Located within the envelope, these become courtyards and gardens, providing natural light and ventilation while ensuring privacy.
This inward focus shifts on the upper (main living) level with views across the neighbouring rooftops towards the city and harbour.Â
An outdoor stair connects this room with a rooftop garden and terrace. This final vantage point helps locate the house within the neighbourhood’s existing fabric, forming part of a dense but varied whole.Â
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The Hugh and Eva Buhrich Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
This home is a ‘layered city’ within the city.
An incredibly sensitive and accomplished project where the architect has embraced the challenges of an exceptionally complex and compressed urban site. A typical terrace house on the street frontage is connected to a non-terrace shaped block on the rear lane, both adjacent to a four-storey mixed-use building. With great skill, the architect has knitted the terrace to a ‘warehouse’ typology with varied room sizes and volumes, and thoughtfully located interconnected stairs. By not maximising the ‘warehouse’ footprint, a beautiful garden oasis has been inserted to the north, giving light and a very special outlook to multiple spaces. That garden and a roof terrace allow the inhabitants to exhale and relax in the middle of the city.
The house presents as the beautifully crafted solution to an urban puzzle. Complex and fine-grained, but with a deep consideration of human behaviour and comfort, the architecture is filled with exceptional moments within, and carefully curated views out, speaking to this client’s way of living, sleeping, working and entertaining,
The façade composition to the laneway is an elegant balance of an industrial palette, reflecting the robust and material honesty, impeccable detailing and careful consideration of the entire design.
The Hugh and Eva Buhrich Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
This home is a ‘layered city’ within the city.
An incredibly sensitive and accomplished project where the architect has embraced the challenges of an exceptionally complex and compressed urban site. A typical terrace house on the street frontage is connected to a non-terrace shaped block on the rear lane, both adjacent to a four-storey mixed-use building. With great skill, the architect has knitted the terrace to a ‘warehouse’ typology with varied room sizes and volumes, and thoughtfully located interconnected stairs. By not maximising the ‘warehouse’ footprint, a beautiful garden oasis has been inserted to the north, giving light and a very special outlook to multiple spaces. That garden and a roof terrace allow the inhabitants to exhale and relax in the middle of the city.
The house presents as the beautifully crafted solution to an urban puzzle. Complex and fine-grained, but with a deep consideration of human behaviour and comfort, the architecture is filled with exceptional moments within, and carefully curated views out, speaking to this client’s way of living, sleeping, working and entertaining,
The façade composition to the laneway is an elegant balance of an industrial palette, reflecting the robust and material honesty, impeccable detailing and careful consideration of the entire design.
We searched for a site with Anthony for years. We wanted a home in Surry Hills or Darlinghurst, walking distance from our business. We were excited by the potential of the site, despite the existing condition and obvious challenges. It took time and effort from everyone involved, but the house is exactly what we hoped it would be; robust externally, with a calm internal environment that cocoons us while providing outlook and a strong connection to the city. As we settle in and the garden grows, the house gets better.Â
Anthony Gill, Design Architect
Sean Dean, Project Architect
Andrew Skulina, Senior Designer
Luisa Campos, Senior Designer
Red Seed Landscape, Landscape Consultant
Cardno/Stantec, Structural Engineer
John Oultram, Heritage Consultant
ABC Planning, Town Planner