Houses

I always enjoy hearing people reflect on how great design has offered them a fresh perspective, especially when it helps them see familiar places with fresh eyes. In Brisbane, a couple of empty-nesters found their new home in an unusual place when they decided to convert the tennis court in their yard into a “right size” home. The end result is Floating Gable House by Phorm Architecture and Design (page 36), a carefully crafted example of infill housing that frames filtered views of the clients’ much-loved neighbourhood and weaves memories of past events into their new home. In Melbourne, meanwhile, a skillfully handled adaptation to Peter McIntyre’s 1954 Coil House by Karen Abernethy Interiors and Architecture (page 54) equips the home for contemporary life while remaining true to the spirit…

Sing d’Arcy Writer Sing d’Arcy is a senior lecturer in the interior architecture program at the University of New South Wales and a regular contributor to industry journals. His research relating to contemporary interior practice focuses on Australian residential, workplace and hospitality design. Renata Dominik Photographer Sydney-based Renata Dominik has a passion for film photography, which shapes her artistic approach to capturing still life and spaces. With a keen eye for storytelling and composition, she brings depth and atmosphere to architectural and interior images, creating striking visuals that highlight the beauty and character of each space. Silvia Micheli Writer Dr Silvia Micheli is a senior lecturer at the University of Queensland, where she teaches and researches architectural and urban design. Michael Pham Photographer Never a stranger…

Find more residential products: architectureau.com/products 01 Plume Light by Skeehan for Rakumba The Plume collection represents the relationship between light and colour while celebrating designer Tom Skeehan’s love of material experimentation. The design explores the distortion of sheet aluminium, with vibrant hues expertly applied by the renowned Fink and Co anodising team. Photograph: Pew Pew. rakumba.com.au 02 Single Tier Ruffle Table from Criteria Inspired by collars, drapes and linen valances, the Ruffle Series by Bari Ziperstein emphasises undulating forms and crisp edges. The handcrafted ceramic table is available in a range of brushed-on glazes, from clear citrus yellow and matt neutrals to earthy mottled blue and glossy monochrome tones. criteriacollection.com.au 03 Teo lamp from Salvatori The Teo lamp features a robust stone disk base softened by a delicate, conical rice…

Newcastle’s character is a mix of industrial heritage, vibrant surf culture and lush coastal landscapes. It is a place where surfers chase the perfect wave while residents compete for even a fleeting glimpse of the ocean from their living room. A house named New Castle, designed by architect Anthony St John Parsons, emerges as a serene counterpoint to this frenzy. The clients were first drawn to Anthony’s work after spotting Merewether, a nearby house that he had worked on at his former practice, Savio Parsons. The clients engaged Anthony to craft their new home on a double block in a tightly held locale. On the first site visit, Anthony proposed that the project should prioritise an incredible garden – a gesture that feels almost radical in a neighbourhood where outdoor…

Dunstan is in the Newlands Estate Precinct in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, straddling Preston and Coburg North. The precinct was developed on farming land during the 1940s and ’50s, and was one of the first large-scale housing estates established by the Housing Commission of Victoria. The planning of the estate was influenced by the garden suburb principles of America and Britain, which sought to establish residential communities in the outer suburbs. When the owners first purchased the house, it was unrenovated and typical of the Newlands Estate: a single-storey, red clinker brick house with a terracotta-tiled roof and timber windows. Although the garden suburb ideas prioritised garden spaces, the original house was inward looking and had very little relationship with the expansive garden to its rear. Architecture practice SSdH was keen…

In William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Mechanicals stage a production of Pyramus and Thisbe, a play within a play, to great comical effect. The device of nesting a story within a story is used in literature, film, painting and, often, architecture. In Phorm Architecture and Design’s Floating Gable House, a physical expression of nesting can be seen in the repeating gables of the front and rear elevations. Internally, there are several nested spaces, particularly the space containing the first-floor bathroom and robe, which appears as a house within a house. In this sense, nesting is employed as a practical method to maximise space on a small site. But the concept of nesting is used in more than just a literal sense: the design of the house also illuminates…