Garage and Studios | Russell Hall Architects P/L

Garage and Studios is a characterful and quietly unconventional project built on the site of a former shed. This two-storey structure, housing a garage and two studios, adheres to a strict internal logic that is not typical or conventional, but so consistent and diligently applied, it takes on a peculiar authority of its own. Responding to economy and availability, the design uses interlocking 70mm landscape sleepers from Bunnings (because they were cheap and readily available) for structure, insulation, and finish.

The sun hoods follow a similar logic: made from folded metal flashing, they are shaped for strength and sun protection, yet take on a sharp, sculptural quality. The architecture feels compacted into a skin-deep façade that flares briefly, then recedes.

The rest of the building is almost incidental, it is direct and pragmatic. And yet, the flare lingers. This is a modest project that, through a series of quiet and deliberate choices, produces a flash of delight that stays with you.