Expression of Interest for ‘Fairwater’ – Selected Projects
Heritage & Modernity
This Woollahra house weaves the rich heritage character of an original Victorian house, with elements that are unashamedly contemporary. Stripped of years of accretions, the original house has been exposed and brought to the fore. A new spiraling stair knits a capacious modern wing, including a new kitchen and family room on the ground floor and study and staff quarters above, with the historic fabric of the dwelling. Steel windows engineered to their uttermost extent fully open the family room onto an expansive outdoor terrace dappled in light. The interiors have been white washed to emphasis the grandeur of the existing house, and draw attention to the dense clutch of trees that surrounds the garden and frames views of the harbour. Wide oak floorboards and finely veined marble lend a timeless air. The simplicity of palette and detail within the house is offset by dramatic detailed light installation by Lindsey Adelman.
This grand old residence is not just class though, she also has a conscience. At the instructions of the client, the project incorporates many energy-conserving and generating technologies. This includes our first installation of geothermal air-conditioning/heating system. The system involves drilling 30m vertical loops into the ground to harness the stable temperature of the earth to power a heat pump. The loops are connected to the heat pump to circulate refrigerant & directly exchange thermal energy with the earth. Air conditioning is delivered through standard fan coil units. The lower indoor coil temperature of the system delivers a reduced humidity level compared to an air sourced system – meaning higher comfort levels. Utilising renewable energy allows the clients to reduce their carbon footprint, as well as greatly reducing the running costs over the life cycle of the equipment.
Skillful management by project architects Hugh Campbell and Candace Christensen saw this project negotiate every possible hurdle, involved the participation of a plethora of consultants, councillors and curious neighbours. The sum of the parts however forms a seamless elegant whole.
This project forms part of Luigi Rosselli Architects ongoing investigation into heritage architecture as a process of organic growth used as a means to explore a significant existing building. Similar to the development of ancient villages with closely related architecture, new works are clearly distinct from the older ones, avoiding confrontation and generational disputes.
Heritage & Modernity
Heritage & Modernity
Heritage & Modernity
Heritage & Modernity
Heritage & Modernity
Heritage & Modernity
Heritage & Modernity
Heritage & Modernity
Heritage & Modernity
Heritage & Modernity
:
:
Harbour Front Row Seat
It is quite rare, in Woollahra Council’s municipality, to have a waterfront residence so close to the water. One gets the feeling of being in Sydney Harbour when looking out of the over-sized wafer-thin framed windows.
We adoped an adaptive reuse strategy as the best way to keep a carbon footprint small and the strategy was rewarded in this waterfront property by maintaining the foreshore building line just a few steps from the water. A new house would have to be set further back.
Though built on the edge of beach this is not a beach house. The cultured art lovers and sophisticated art collectors who commissioned this project required a very urbane and elegant residence, with an environment ideal to display their collection. Expansive Wall spaces, nooks for sculptures and specialised art lighting were necessary.
The entry courtyard was originally a cramped driveway with three garages as main features, the solution was to relocate the garages and have a Will Dangar designed courtyard with sculptural plants and textural architectural details. The result restored a sense of dignified arrival where people, not cars, are welcome.
Harbour Front Row Seat
The bead blasted stainless steel balcony railings are a nautical reference to the naval architecture of the 1930s. the low iron glass behind it is to satisfy the Building Code of Australia.
Harbour Front Row Seat
Once a barren parking area, the entry courtyard is now a densely landscaped garden with bottle trees and garden gnomes.
Harbour Front Row Seat
Built only a few years after Walter Gropius’ s Fagus factory with its famous glass stairs, this stair tower now extends to the roof terrace with new steel windows.
Harbour Front Row Seat
The entrance hall is bathed in light from the stairwell both day and night.
Harbour Front Row Seat
The seven metre tall Lindsey Adelman chandelier dominates the stairwell. Light projectors, concealed in the suspended ceiling, illuminate the artwork.
Harbour Front Row Seat
Four storeys high, the stair has a solid Blackbutt hardwood finish, with a moderate stain finish.
Harbour Front Row Seat
Nearly floating in Double Bay and Sydney Harbour, the living room is a collection of furniture classics, lighting icons and worldly artwork.
Harbour Front Row Seat
1930s Halabala reading chairs contemplate the densely packed library.
Harbour Front Row Seat
Brokis light pendant with Cognac glass colour suitable for a wine cellar. Joinery by Correlli Joinery:
Harbour Front Row Seat
The seat made of hardwood decking board ready for the frequent fireworks over Sydney Harbour.
:
:
Loggia In Arcadia
Arcadia is a mythological place of peace and pastoral happiness, and one can find a Victorian villa named Arcadia in a tranquil street in the suburb of Paddington, on the city fringes of Sydney and walking distance from Centennial Park.
This Gothic Revival villa is wedged between rows of terrace houses, hidden from the street, and by the happy accident of a Victorian land surveyor, conceals an unusually large and lush garden at the rear of the property.
The new additions open a dialogue with the filigree of the traditional Victorian front veranda and the ashlar masonry pattern of its walls without imitating the materials. The new loggia or upper floor balcony is clad with a finely detailed wall of shutters and elaborate cantilevered timberwork. Below a monolithic exposed concrete wall, formed by seasoned timber planks, provides a contrasting base to the loggia.
The mix of modernity with the heritage of the context and the reuse of traditional building details next to contemporary materials is a vibrant new approach to provide new life to tired old buildings.
Today, Arcadia bears its name proudly and a family enjoy the peace and pastoral happiness of its setting.
Loggia In Arcadia
The lower walls are solid exposed concrete blades, formed by weathered hardwood boards recycled from old fences. The walls conceal oversized timber windows, the mastery of the builder is present in every detail.
Loggia In Arcadia
The jacaranda tree will shower the courtyard once a year with its intense, lavender coloured flowers. In the meantime, the billowing curtains and swinging shutters are the living beats of a family house that changes and follows the steps and moves of its content residents.
Loggia In Arcadia
The loggia, or first floor covered balcony, is also a privacy screen that allows filtered air and light and obscures the neighbours’ view. The shutters were masterfully constructed by the builder and Shutters Australia.
Loggia In Arcadia
Downstairs, sheer curtains provide privacy and soften the large family room, while a concrete ceiling, traditionally framed by recycled hardwood timber contrast with a Porters oak floor.
The Waterfront Palazzo
:
:
Loggia In Arcadia
The original stone door sill that linked the front of the house to the back kitchen and Victorian outhouses. It links the new to the old, a new stair is visible in the background.
Loggia In Arcadia
The oak stair is bathed in light from a shuttered vertical window and connects the three storeys of the residence.
Loggia In Arcadia
Initially, the attic room was going to be a study for the hard working parents but the girls appropriated it as their wet weather playroom.
:
:
Pepper Tree House
Pepper Tree House
Pepper Tree House
Pepper Tree House
This home in Rupertswood Avenue, Bellevue hill, designed in 1930 by architect, E.L. Sodersteen is one example of a building that, though not officially heritage listed, holds significant heritage value. This was at the forefront of our considerations during its renovation.
Homage to Oscar
Homage to Oscar
A recently completed enhancement of a proto-organic design of the late 1950s.
Pepper Tree House
The Waterfront Palazzo
Sydney Harbour is surrounded by a majority of large and dull waterfront houses. Quantity prevails on quality. This house in Vaucluse was a typical example; it had 16 car spaces distributed in three garages and eight bathrooms, but ceilings were low, the internal planning was cramped and you had to walk outside to go down to the ground floor levels. We transformed two of the three garages into living spaces and a tennis house to accommodate visitors. We formed a new internal stair linking all levels of the house and upgraded all finishes, openings, swimming pool and external spaces.
The client’s brief was “always the best” which did not apply only to finishes but also to the special qualities. The house had to be an elegant but neutral back drop to a great art collection and a classic Sydney Harbour setting.
A high level of diplomatic and political skills were required in a site of this location, our Development Application was subject to venomous objections from the neighbours on either side of our project and our client responded on the neighbours new house plans, it was like being in the middle of the Maginot lines. Despite this neighbourly war, we obtained a building permit in less than four months.
The contribution of Will Dangar’s landscaping was pivotal to provide the continuity between the interiors and the generous grounds of the site.
Homage to Oscar
The Waterfront Palazzo
The sandstone base, newly built in 2004 is today covered with bougainvillea. The retractable, column free canvas awning has withstood galeforce winds and constant use.
The Waterfront Palazzo
If a frangipani tree survived ten years in this saline environment it will outlast this infinity pool. A spa pool is concealed in the main swimming pool rectangle, avoiding the usual raised blob.
The Waterfront Palazzo
In 2004, William Dangar crafted this tree lined drive. Taking inspiration from Paul Cezanne’s tree lined avenues painting, these Fiddly Figs form a perspective to the front door. Today the trees are taller and the stone softly aged.
Homeage to Oscar
The Waterfront Palazzo
A massive door reveals a light filled stairwell. The timber treads cantilever from the stone portion of the stair, three vertical light boxes contain photographic artwork.
Pepper Tree House
The Waterfront Palazzo
The Waterfront Palazzo
Homage to Oscar
The Waterfront Palazzo
The skilled craftsmanship of VRD’s joinery has endured the intensive use of various residents.
Pepper Tree House
The Waterfront Palazzo
Nature changed faster than this seat at the end of the kitchen family room. The neighbour cut down the tree, one Sunday morning. It had to be replaced by fast growing bamboo to provide a privacy screen.
Homeage to Oscar
Pepper Tree House