Bidjigal, Birrabirragal and Gadigal people
New South Wales
Nine-Square Bondi is a reflection of the client’s global and creative mindset, incorporating influences of time spent living in Hong Kong, their eclectic collection of art and love of Brazilian Brutalist houses. The core concept was to draw on their individuality but also to embrace and reflect the unique character of the Bondi Beach locality: casual, communal, colourful, imperfect, unadorned, a heavily pedestrianised ground plane and a strong, vibrant community. Our philosophy was to bring Bondi’s freedom of spirit into the design process and to question the accepted conventions of house composition, allowing for a design that completely opens up both internally and to the exterior, an upstairs living level and an inward looking, uplifting courtyard garden.
“At Madeleine Blanchfield Architects we believe that beautiful, interesting spaces can also be flexible and functional. We create homes that are bold, luminous and elevate the spirit.”
Madeleine Blanchfield, Director
Flipping the layout initially felt challenging but this bold design supports the natural rhythms of our beach-side days. Upstairs, we live expansively by the sun, overlooking the trees and flooded by natural light. The central courtyard provides space and depth between living areas and we feel connected through the layers of glass even when engaged in our different activities. In the evening we retreat downstairs where it is more protected and cosier.
Amongst the bustle of Bondi, our home feels like a sanctuary where the boundaries between inside and out are blurred by luscious greenery.
We couldn’t be happier.