By Alexander & Co.
An Overview
Alexander House (AH) is the home of Alexander &CO. where our team work from and where our clients meet with us. It is an architectural residential showcase and a purpose-built live/work set up aiming to challenge preconceptions of home, land, family and work. Importantly, AH is also a prototype for exploring sustainability, carbon sequestration and environmental innovation.
The Vision
Alexander House is our new way of practicing our craft. A courageous space to foster leadership, creativity and learning. Designed as a safe space for reflection, experimentation and to nurture the creative spirit, AH is our thesis, prototype and a place for our team and community to test out and challenge ideas.
We look forward to hosting events, “Creative Conversations” and utilising AH to open a wider dialogue on our industry, impacts and our potential to introduce change.
We are passionate about local artists and are underway with discussions regarding a moving gallery concept - perhaps even a future artist in residence.
We are also committed to educating and engaging our team around reconciliation and have engaged Susan Moylan-Coombs from the Gaimaragal Group to host a series of ‘Cultural Conversations’. We are looking forward to sharing these discussions with our team and wider community.
The Materials
As well as reclaimed timbers, rammed earth bricks from waste materials, a cohesive material palette of concrete, polished plaster, steel, brass and stone accents have all supported our aesthetic vision which fosters a ‘found’ feeling. We have chosen finishes and materials which are inherently imperfect. Materials are deeply expressive and were selected to show their age, as is the case with the sandblasted timber and brass which could blacken and develop over time.
The Space
Conceived as a design laboratory, AH supports a diversity of uses including; working environments for both collaboration, meetings and solo time. Site limitations encouraged creativity when it came to encompassing the various program functions our team required within the small terrace footprint with each of the four floor plates conceived to be programmed separately and transition with time.
There are both private exterior spaces and internal environments which vary in material, scale, lighting and volume. Each space allows us to provide both a true residential showcase experience for our clients and a flexible working environment for our team.
Spaces include;
The Craftspeople and Collaborations
AH is a space that champions the local craftspeople within our design community who we worked with to create bespoke pieces and continue to work in collaboration with daily to bring our client visions to life. Each new material, technology or detail is the result of collaborative innovation with local suppliers.
Some of these collaborations include;
An iconic Jean Gillon for Italma Wood Easy Lounge Chair which was purchased from a local dealer and completely reconditioned and reupholstered by renowned mid 20th century upholster and restorer, Demuz Design who ensured all original details were maintained. Taking over 40 hours of work, the leather from the Elmonordic range from InStyle was flown in especially from a tannery in Sweden for this piece.
A vintage Roche Bobois freeform coffee table for the living space
A pair of family heirloom pine chairs were uncovered at our Principal Jeremy Bull’s family holiday home, these were handcrafted by his grandfather in the 1960’s and now reside in our mezzanine space.
A range of Australian artists feature throughout AH including a Sarah Nedovic Gaunt ceramic lamp, Lumpy Vase by Jordan Fleming (Jordan is also one of our talented team members) and pieces by Denise Hojdyssek, Jack Lanagan Dunbar and Justin Williams (COMA Gallery), Mclean Edwards (Olsen Gallery) and Greg Wood (Otomys)
Sustainability
AH is also a prototype for exploring sustainability, carbon sequestration and environmental innovation. Some of these initiatives include;
The architecture itself became an experiment for sustainability too. While cross-ventilation was mandatory within the design, further measures include the addition of a west-facing glass block wall section which allows for a high light input while excluding heat. On the rooftop, a west-facing terrace structure and mass screening prevent further heat absorption, and an externally insulated and internally thermally massive wall system creates an internal ambient temperature that varies slowly.
Principal Architect: Jeremy Bull
Interior Design Team: Jeremy Bull, Shelby Griffiths
Design:Harrison Bontrager, Anson Li
FF&E:Tess Glasson, Sam Jones
Builder: Fairweather Constructions
Editorial Stylist:Claire Delmar
Date completion: September 2020
Project Size: 250sqm
Photography: Anson Smart
We believe in the spirit of place.
We make timeless, beautiful spaces for those who care deeply.
We are architects, interior designers and furniture makers.
We are driven to inspire our clients and our global village.