Professor Leslie Wilkinson’s domestic architecture is a bottomless source of surprises, discoveries and idiosyncrasies; his houses are complex, full of unexpected twists and turns. The scale is human, comfortable and not rhetorical. The owners were extremely fond of their house, but had some trouble fitting their large family, activities, books and art collection into the original space. Luigi Rosselli was asked to find a sympathetic way of adding a considerable number of rooms and functions. A library, playroom, family room and poolhouse with swimming pool have been added together with a new garage, cellar and store. The additions have been generally constructed outside of the original house footprint, partially excavated in the steep rock face behind the house and partially underground behind the front garden retaining wall. The existing house has been restored to its original splendor; the shutters repaired, the walls replastered, the polished concrete floors refreshed. The kitchen, bathrooms and electrical systems brought up to today’s standards. A missing feature of the original Wilkinson design, the entry gate, was built with details procured from some of his other residential projects. The old garage was too narrow for two cars so it was transformed into a playroom for the younger children, and connected to the rest of the house by excavating another flight of stairs under the main stairwell. Wilkinson’s organic and fragmented house designs have attempted to reinterpret the richness of the layering of time in vernacular architecture. The new additions have attempted to adopt the same principle. The place should now feel more like a venerable ancient village than a suburban house.
Awards: Australian Institute of Architects National Award for Heritage 2009 Woollahra Conservation Award 2008 National Trust Energy Australia Commendation 2009 Australian Institute of Architects Residential Architecture Award 2009 Australian Institute of Architects NSW Heritage Architecture Award 2009
Location : Double Bay, Sydney, NSW Design Architect : Luigi Rosselli Project Architect : Candace Christensen Heritage Consultants : Tanner Architects & John Oultram Heritage & Design Builder : Sydcon Building Services Structural Consultant :O’Hearn Consultants Interiors : Interni – Louise Bell, Shane Grogan Joiner : Silkworth Landscaper : Andrew Pfeiffer Photography : Justin Alexander
A tall, narrow glass atrium creates a seamless visual link between a warm, wood-floored interior and a sun-drenched stone courtyard. To the left, a sculptural, mid-century modern timber chair sits near a set of white French doors that open onto a lush, fern-filled terrace. The architecture blends clean, contemporary lines with the rustic textures of original stone walls and cascading greenery, emphasising a light-filled connection between the indoor living space and the outdoors.
© Justin Alexander
An outdoor terrace features a timber pergola supported by thick white columns, which are wrapped in vibrant green climbing vines. The space is paved in light stone, leading toward a rustic, textured stone wall and a second-level balcony with black wrought-iron railing. Sage-green shutters and woven wicker chairs add a classic, Mediterranean feel to the courtyard, creating a layered and venerable atmosphere.
© Justin Alexander
A sun-dressed courtyard is framed by a rustic timber pergola and classic white columns. In the background, a multi-level stone wall is integrated into the steep landscape, featuring a black wrought-iron balcony and additional white-framed glass doors that lead into the home's interior.
© Justin Alexander
A dramatic stone-wall courtyard features a winding staircase with slender black metal railings that descend into a lower level. A set of olive-green louvred shutters is inset into the massive, textured sandstone wall, creating a sense of hidden depth within the steep rock face. Above, a modern pavilion with white columns and large glass doors sits amidst lush hilltop greenery, overlooking the ancient-feeling, terraced landscaped.
© Justin Alexander
A narrow, light-filled courtyard is carved into a steep sandstone rock face, where a new stone-clad addition meets the original white-plastered home. Modern cantilevered stone steps with slender black railings lead past oversized ferns toward a multi-layered courtyard. Sage-green louvred shutters and classic timber-framed windows look out onto the passage, blending the home's historic character with the organic, excavated textures of the hillside.
© Justin Alexander
A modern, light-filled pool house with bi-fold glass doors sits beside a turquoise infinity-edge swimming pool. A slatted timber pergola, supported by sturdy white columns, casts a rhythmic shadow across the pale stone terrace and a neatly manicured patch of lawn. The structure is built directly against a rugged, natural rock face, creating a striking contrast between the clean architectural lines and the raw, excavated hillside.
© Justin Alexander
A bright, elevated terrace features a turquoise lap pool that borders a series of substantial white rectangular columns. A slattered timber pergola overhead casts long, graphic shadows across the pale stone flooring and into an adjacent living area with large glass doors. In the distance, the pool overlooks a canopy of trees and terracotta rooftops, leading toward a distant city skyline.
© Justin Alexander
A wide set of stone stairs ascends through a lush, sun-dappled garden towards the house. Whilst a sculptural, curved staircase with polished concrete treads ascends within a bright, minimalist interior. A dark, ornate metal handrail with geometric details winds upward, following the soft, plastered curves of the ceiling and walls. At the top of the landing, light streams in through a set of tall, white-framed French doors, emphasising the clean lines and human scale of the renovated space.
© Justin Alexander
A sun-filled living room features a curved white wall lined with large-scale contemporary paintings and classic multi-pane windows. A diverse collection of mid-century modern and timber furniture is arranged over rick hardwood floors, centered around a vibrant red patterned rug.
© Justin Alexander
A modern library features a curved, white-plastered wall lined with several tiers of integrated bookshelves, filled with a dense collection of books. A circular skylight in the ceiling provides soft, overhead illumination for the space. In the foreground, a vintage timber deck is paired with a matching leather and navy blue upholstered chair, creating a quiet and comfortable study area within the home's new excavated additions.
© Justin Alexander
A modern kitchen features a monolithic marble island and matching marble backsplash, contrasted by sleek stainless steel countertops and a minimalist range hood. Clean, handle-less white cabinetry lines with walls, while warm hardwood floors run throughout the space.
© Justin Alexander
A minimalist white kitchen features sleek, handle-less cabinetry and a polished stainless steel countertop. A large arched window is partially obscured by a row of floating upper cabinets, allowing soft natural light to flood the workspace while framing the architectural curve. Glass canisters and bowls of fruit sit on the counter, adding a touch of colour to the clean, contemporary aesthetic of the restored interior. The pale green mosaic wall tiles contrast with dark, veined marble floor tiles in this contemporary bathroom.
© Justin Alexander
A minimalist stairwell features polished concrete steps and smoothly plastered, warm-toned walls that curve into a vaulted ceiling. To the left, a flight of stairs descends behind a solid concrete balustrade, illuminated by a decorative geometric breeze-block window and soft, recessed cove lighting. The architectural design uses clean lines and subterranean textures to connect the different levels of the home through a series of excavated passages.
© Justin Alexander