Framed perspective

Designed by Melonie Bayl-Smith, BIJL Architecture

From the renovating architects:

This home, situated in Neutral Bay on the lower north shore of Sydney, is a study of layers – material layers, liminal layers and site layers. 

It is about peeling back, exposing, renewing and refining the spatial expression of a house with many histories.

The original sandstone cottage was built in the late 1880s, with the area adjoining the north-east boundaries now known as Warringa Park. 

Subdivision in 1958 created the unusual site shape and battle-axe access, curtailing the legibility of the house from the street which extends to the present time. 

Since the 1920s, the cottage had been altered and extended on all sides, with the early 20th century framed eastern wing and brick entry foyer to the south included in the Contributory heritage listing with the local Council.

Presented with the existing dwelling, we were tasked with spatially unifying the house – making sense of its disparate spaces and creating better connections within the house, to its site and its surrounds. 

With strict heritage and planning controls to observe, and in acknowledging the site constraints, we extended the enclosed areas of the house by only a few square metres. 

The realised design is an exercise in examining every spatial connection and expression of the dwelling at its most fundamental level.

Our design approach leans into art-like framing strategies, to address the brief and bring about functional flexibility, aesthetic delight and environmental performance. 

External and internal views are aligned and articulated, dissolving traditional floor plan limitations with minimal additional footprint.

The floor plan accommodates a future adaptable living arrangement, passive and active energy efficiency installations, retention and refurbishment of the original sandstone, and a palette of simple materials that create a minimalist backdrop to the artworks and furnishings.

Generous natural lighting is achieved via glazed, steel framed elements balancing heavy masonry walls, with a new stair void aside the impressive insitu artwork AES, fabricated in collaboration between artist, architect/design, supplier, builder and joiner. 

Decorative and indirect illuminations complete a dwelling that becomes an artwork in itself – coupled with sensitive landscaping that borrows from the neighbouring park and existing elements.

What was the brief?

We were tasked with reimagining the dwelling to bring about a contemporary, light filled home embracing the owners’ love of art and accommodating their blended family spanning generations – to achieve this, the existing building was examined at its most fundamental level. 

Outlook, light, aspect, material and landscape were all contemplated to spatially unify the dwelling within the strict heritage and planning controls.

A balance of open plan living, spaces for retreat and a well-considered floor plan that made best use of the available footprint was key to achieving our owners' spatial and functional brief. 

This also included rebuilding the existing vehicular access and parking, refurbishing the existing pool, completely overhauling the landscaping, and articulating the secondary utility spaces and structures.

What were the key challenges?

From a design perspective, the unusual site shape and the strict planning and heritage conservation controls made altering and updating the house extremely difficult. 

There was no opportunity to extend the house footprint beyond its existing situation, due to the required soft landscaping ratio for this site. 

Further, the external fabric of the heritage components was required to have minimal alterations only. 

We therefore focussed on increasing the volume and height of the dining room addition from the late 1990s and making careful alterations to the similarly aged first floor addition.

Other challenges involved the proximity of neighbouring dwellings looking towards and across the site, and the relationship of the dwelling with the local park which adjoins the north and eastern boundaries of the property. 

Managing privacy with solar access, permeability and landscaped views was very important to the project.

How is the project unique?

The project carefully acknowledges the three key eras of construction and design that articulate the dwelling, given its heritage fabric and planning classification. 

This in turn resulted in a unique approach to knitting the disparate parts of the dwelling together – developing a language based on slender steel lines drawing the building together through different tectonic elements, rather than forcing parts of the dwelling to submit to others.

The in-situ 3D printed, embossed and carved artwork AES by Marcus Piper, fabricated in collaboration between Axolotl, the builder and joiner, forms a site specific and unique installation to the dwelling.

What were the solutions?

We extended the existing study northwards by about a metre, which not only afforded an internal connection to the dining space but allowed the reconciliation of levels.

Existing fenestration and openings were required to be retained in the original dwelling, with careful incisions made to the oldest sandstone and brick elements to accommodate new wet areas on the ground floor. 

Relocation of the stair within the two-storey space transforms the dwelling, with views to and throughout both floors now made possible.

In reimagining the rigid existing floor plan, the spatial language is articulated by the masonry elements and slender steel framing. 

The glazed elements – new multipane doors and windows (traditional and contemporary), skylights, elevated flooring, balustrading, even the double-sided fireplace – introduce and conduct light and views through the dwelling and out to the sky, landscaping and borrowed greenery proffered by the park.

Given the complexity of retaining and refurbishing most of the existing building fabric and enhancing the limited footprint and floor area, a generous budget was allocated to manage and fortify all construction decisions. 

This included enabling the floor plan to accommodate a future adaptable living arrangement (arguably the best sustainable outcome), as well as passive and active energy efficiency installations and low maintenance material selections.

Story by: Trendsideas