Atchison Street House
By Bennett Murada Architects
The success of this project has been achieved by an integrated approach to both arrangement of programme and resolution of structure simultaneously.
Year
2018
Location
Crows Nest, NSW
Size
140sqm
Team
Anna Honan, Dom Bennett
Photographer
Chris Elfes
Media
It takes a brave client to challenge an unfinished project such as this partially renovated house in Crows Nest. Midway through the renovation and extension, the former owner, working with another architect, realised the 1.8 metre ceiling for upstairs bedrooms would not be compliant with council requirements.
Abandoned before anywhere near completion, the current owner commissioned Bennett Murada Architects to complete the project – a semi-detached early 20th century brick dwelling on a modest 200-square-metre corner site.
Given there wasn’t the opportunity to extend vertically (as experienced by the former design), the architects thought laterally and excavated a metre below ground level. The result is now a two-story split-level house, with the second level concealed behind the home’s pitched roofline. At ground level, there’s now a main bedroom, the only original part of the house that was retained, complete with its tiled open fireplace, leadlight windows and ensuite. And given the width of the semi, just over four metres, there are laser-cut steel and glass sliding doors framing the main passage that can be left open for most of the time or closed when guests come over.
The stone used for the lower part of the open plan kitchen, dining and living areas at the rear of the Crows Nest home acts as a reminder of how much was excavated.
The simple kitchen, with its adjacent laundry, features a stone island bench and MDF joinery, with the living area benefiting from glass doors to a pocket-sized courtyard garden. Pivotal to the design is a stairwell, framed in copper, with a guest powder room on the landing - making every square metre count. And on the first floor, the roof space now comfortably fits two additional bedrooms and a bathroom, the latter featuring a patterned glass wall that allows for both natural light and for bedrooms to feel more spacious in spite of height restrictions (the ceiling now complies with the minimum 2400-millimetre height).
The original façade has been restored, including tuckpointing the liver-coloured bricks, window and gable so as to have vestiges from the more recent past, including the patterned brickwork and remnants of its bracing by a former builder.
Professionals used in
Atchison Street House
More projects from
Bennett Murada Architects
About the
Professional
Our architecture is about simple things executed beautifully. While our buildings may look different to each other, they all embody the same principles of sensual experience, sustainability, honesty of materials, construction credibility and distinction.
We are positive, responsive, and easy to work with. We gauge success by consistently developing successful ongoing relationships with those involved in our projects. We understand that an important part of our role is leading, motivating and igniting a sense of ownership across the design team. Experience has taught us that best results are achieved when all stakeholder contexts are aligned, communication is open and clear, expert input is integrated accurately, and mutual respect is won.
There is little room for ego at BMA. Our design process is genuinely collaborative, with Project Directors engaging with our broadly skilled and experienced team of 15 staff to deliver richly diverse and unique projects every time.
We also actively promote working in a collaborative environment with our clients, authorities, consultants, builders, suppliers and other team members to arrive at are fined, efficient and beautiful result.
We value not only innovative and inspirational design at a project’s inception, but rigour, clarity and accuracy during our design development, documentation, tender and construction processes.
We are skilled in the art of balancing aspirations and pragmatics, and consider cost, programme and build ability integral to the design development process. We test our design decisions against these parameters regularly and actively promote the same within the design team.
We are successfully engaged in a broad range of project types and scales, including houses, urban housing, commercial and industrial projects, and resort hospitality.
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