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About

Mary Ryan.

Original character, monumental concrete and finely resolved contemporary detail find common ground in this substantial Brisbane renovation.

Title:: Mary Ryan
Builder:: O'Shea & Sons Builders
Category:: Residential/Renovations and Extensions
Completed:: 2026
Building style:: Contemporary
Photographers:: Unveil Media
Shoot to Sell

A renovation defined by what it brings together

The most compelling renovations do more than preserve what came before or introduce something new. They create a relationship between the two — one in which contrast feels intentional, transitions feel natural and the home reads as a complete work.

Mary Ryan began with that ambition. Designed by Tim Stewart Architects and delivered by O’Shea & Sons Builders, the project transforms an existing residence into a generous, highly considered home without smoothing away the depth that gives it character. Its architecture moves confidently between familiar domestic warmth and a more elemental material language: concrete, timber, glass, stone and landscape.

At approximately 860 square metres, the scale is substantial. Yet the experience of the home is not driven by size alone. Privacy is carefully held at the arrival, circulation is generous and intuitive, and living spaces open progressively towards light, air and garden. The result is a home that feels composed rather than imposing — its complexity present in the richness of the spaces, not in the effort required to inhabit them.

A shared work of architecture and building

Mary Ryan holds a special place in the O’Shea & Sons Builders portfolio because it reveals what becomes possible when design ambition and construction knowledge develop together. Tim Stewart Architects established a strong architectural language; the building team translated it through structure, sequencing, material expertise and an exacting approach to detail.

The home has since received the 2026 Master Builders Brisbane award for Excellence in Home Sustainability & Innovation — recognition of another dimension of the project’s integrated thinking. Yet its success is perhaps best understood through the finished experience: a home that feels generous but grounded, technically accomplished but deeply liveable.

Old and new do not compete here. Structure and craft do not call attention to the labour behind them. They settle into a home shaped for real life — confident in its character, quiet in its complexity and built to endure.

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Project Gallery

The architectural clarity of Mary Ryan rests on construction of considerable difficulty. Extensive structural concrete gives the new work its weight and permanence, including self-supporting soffits that appear effortless in the completed home but demanded meticulous planning in formwork, reinforcement, pouring and finishing.

Seen from above, the home's dark timber form settles into terraced gardens, with rooftop solar hidden in plain sight.

Sage green tiling and a freestanding bath give the bathroom a calm, garden-facing outlook.

Native planting softens the charred timber cladding, threading garden between living spaces.

Beneath an off-form concrete ceiling, oak joinery and stone bring warmth to the everyday heart of the home.

A cedar sauna adds a quiet wellness retreat within the home.

The main bathroom opens to the garden, pairing a sculptural bath with soft stone surfaces.

Curved structural concrete frames the internal courtyard — quiet engineering in service of garden and light.

Planted edges blur the line between terrace and garden on the upper level.

A curved walkway traces the courtyard below, connecting the upper level to the garden's rhythm.

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Professionals used

O'Shea & Sons BuildersBuilders

VerosolManufacturers and SuppliersNew South Wales

Jetmaster FireplacesManufacturers and Suppliers

UNIVERSAL OPEN FIRES

SLOW COMBUSTION FIREPLACES

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UNIVERSAL OPEN FIRES

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Heka HoodsBuilding Material Suppliers

O'Shea & Sons Builders

Builders

osheabuilders.com.au

O'Shea & Sons Builders. Built on family. Driven by craftsmanship. Designed for life. O’Shea & Sons Builders (OSB) is a multi-award-winning Brisbane building company creating architecturally considered custom homes and character home transformations. Since 2010, OSB has worked alongside clients, architects, designers and trusted craftspeople to create enduring homes that feel deeply personal to the people who live in them. OSB works closely with every client and project team, bringing thoughtful judgement to the design and care to every decision. From the first conversation to the final handover, quality, transparency and genuine collaboration guide every stage of the building journey.