Houses, October 2021
HousesThe best contemporary residential architecture, with inspirational ideas from leading architects and designers.
Projects
Small but generous: Arthur Circus
A spatial tardis, this surprising and generous addition enlivens an original Georgian cottage in a tightly controlled Hobart heritage precinct.
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Houses 142 preview
Introduction to Houses 142.
Riley’s Terrace by Adele McNab Architects
Small urban living is reimagined in this resourceful alteration, resulting in an inventive, future-proof courtyard house tucked behind a terrace facade in Sydney’s Redfern.
Call of the wild: Camping shelters
Appealing to our escapist desires, this collection of architect-designed camping shelters acknowledges the restorative effects of a retreat into nature and pays tribute to the beauty of utility.
One to Watch: Architect George
Dean Williams’s practice is based on the joy he finds in the design process, a drive to work collaboratively and his desire not to take himself (or George) too seriously.
Studio: Nikolai Kotlarczyk
Australian-born, Denmark-based designer Nikolai Kotlarczyk produces work that is both simple and decorative, distilling narrative-laden ideas into refined, geometric expression.
A determined rural life: Long Road House
In the countryside of south-east Queensland, this new residence makes a compelling case for rural living, offering the temptation to commune in private with nature.
Seeing the light: Northcote Terrace
Precisely tuned to frame and filter natural light, this reworking of a Melbourne terrace has realized a family home that is both durable and delightful.
Reclaiming the charm: Marrickville Half House
An unconventional house on an inner-western Sydney site is paired with a clever yet unassuming new addition, proving that charm can be reclaimed and humility can be an asset.
Suburban manifesto: 3 house
A single-storey worker’s cottage in Brisbane is transformed into three autonomous and adaptable units, making a compelling case for greater density in the suburbs.
A potent lesson in small-scale, sustainable housing: Vivarium
Modest and mindful yet formally expressive, this revitalized Melbourne cottage intertwines house with landscape to create a spatially generous family home in harmony with the environment.
Meet the owners of Vivarium by Architecture Architecture
Kimberley and Justin approached their architect with a brief for a compact addition to their house, and were gifted with a highly functional and unexpectedly beautiful home.
‘A gift to the neighbourhood’: Milkbar House
In inner-suburban Melbourne, the built legacy of a former milk bar has been transformed into a calm family home in which spaces are zoned for practicality and for mood.
Enhancing neighbourliness: Toowong Renovation
A new addition to a much-loved Brisbane cottage unearths the latent possibilities of a sloping suburban site, interlacing house and garden while preserving the neighbourliness of its laneway locale.
Revisited: Beddison Swift House, 1963
As one of only a handful of houses completed during the short-lived partnership between Neil Clerehan and Guilford Bell, this understated residence, completed in 1963, is an intriguing and enduring model for multigenerational living.
The houses of Polly Harbison Design
With a portfolio of singular and sculptural houses, this small Sydney studio distills complex ideas into an elemental architecture that is entirely devoid of trickery.