Studio Four

Subterms

    Latest story

    138 Shares199 Views

    Studio Four opens up “dark and compartmentalised” 1970s residence in Melbourne

    by

    A series of portal openings improve connections between rooms and bring extra light into this 1970s residence in Melbourne renovated by Australian practice Studio Four.

    Studio Four aimed to renovate the home, which was designed by Australian architect Wayne Gillespie in 1972, to improve the internal plan and bring it up to date for contemporary living.
    A series of portal openings provide views of the garden beyond (top and above)”While the existing house was of solid build, the interiors felt lightweight by comparison and did not flow or function as desired,” said Studio Four.
    “Some spaces, in particular the existing kitchen, were dark and compartmentalised and did not fully harness the possible connections with the garden.”
    Solid wood furnishings create a sense of warmth in the otherwise monochrome kitchen
    Located in the city’s South Yarra neighbourhood, the Cunningham Street Residence was designed by Gillespie as his first independent project and his first home.
    The architect, who died in 2001, was known for his use of pure, clean lines, and combining classical design features with modern technology.
    A planter is integrated between the dining table and kitchen island”The client’s brief was to provide a holistic solution,” explained Studio Four.
    “Their brief was to strengthen Gillespie’s original vision, as opposed to creating an alternate vision that would directly contrast it.”
    The kitchen was relocatedStudio Four replanned the rooms to enable the occupants to spend time both together and separately.
    For example, the existing kitchen was relocated to the centre and rear of the home so it could be used as a central space for the family to gather in.

    Ruxton Rise Residence in Melbourne is arranged around a planted courtyard

    To make the spaces appear larger and more connected with each other and the outside space, the architects inserted a series of portal openings between the spaces.
    It decorated the spaces with a palette of light and neutral colours.
    One of the portals features an integrated reading nook”The design response reflects the integrity of the existing built fabric. The focus is on the experience rather than the form, and all emphasis is placed on the quality of the experience rather than a visual statement,” concluded the studio.
    “The result is a house where the architectural form and its interiors act as one, and the transition between built form and landscape is blurred.”
    The bedroom features panoramic views of the trees outsideStudio Four, which is led by directors Annabelle Berryman and Sarah Henry, has a track record of creating homes that blur indoor and outdoor space.
    Previous residential projects include an all-white family home with a garden at its centre, and a grey-brick home with a central olive tree-dotted courtyard.
    Photography is by Shannon McGrath.

    Read more: More

    More stories

    • 138 Shares129 Views

      Ruxton Rise Residence in Melbourne is arranged around a planted courtyard

      by

      A courtyard dotted with olive trees sits at the heart of this grey-brick home in Melbourne that Studio Four has created for its own co-director.Ruxton Rise Residence has been built for Studio Four’s co-director, Sarah Henry, and sits on a greenfield site in Beaumaris – an affluent suburb of Melbourne that’s host to a number of mid-century properties.
      While keeping in mind the mid-century typology, Henry was keen to create a tranquil home where she could spend quality time with her two daughters.

      “Designing for my own family was an opportunity to pare back a home to the bare essentials, and explore what is required for a young family to live minimally and mindfully,” Henry told Dezeen.

      “The house exemplifies the absence of what is not necessary, in both building form and detail,” she continued.
      “If I could summarise the objective for our new house in one sentence, it would be to create a little bit of something precious rather than a lot of something mediocre.”

      All the communal spaces of Ruxton Rise Residence face onto a central open-air courtyard planted with olive trees.
      It’s designed to act as an additional room in the house where inhabitants can gather together to enjoy the sun, or relax alone with a book.

      “Physically the house envelopes the central garden,” explained the studio’s other co-director, Annabelle Berryman.
      “It connects all internal living spaces and the design enables everyone to enjoy the house together, while providing subtle layers of separation and privacy,” she continued.
      “The landscape, and its movement and shadows, provide a calming effect that permeates the whole house.”

      The courtyard is bordered by a series of expansive glazed panels. These can be slid back to access the home’s interior, where the studio has forgone “trends and illusions” and instead applied a palette of simple and natural materials.
      “Our challenge was to design an interior that reflects the integrity of the built fabric and possesses a high level of humility,” said Henry.
      “All materials and building techniques were selected for their honesty, as well as their ability to patina over time, as it is important a house gets more beautiful as it ages.”

      A chunky grey-brick column loosely divides the living area – on one side lies a formal sitting room dressed with a woven rug and a couple of sloping wooden armchairs.
      On the other side is a cosier snug that has a plump navy sofa and a coffee table carved from a solid block of Oregon wood.

      The warmth and tactility of this table encouraged the studio to introduce a wooden dining set in the kitchen – the chairs are by Danish designer Hans J Wegner. Surrounding walls are clad in concrete-bricks, while the cabinetry is pale grey.

      All-white house by Studio Four blends indoor and outdoor spaces

      This austere palette continues through into the sleeping quarters, which are also painted grey. The same concrete bricks have also been used to form the headboard in the master bedroom.

      In the bathrooms, surfaces have been covered with tadelakt – a type of lime-based waterproof plaster often used in Moroccan architecture to make sinks and baths.
      Even the facade of the home, which is slightly set back from the street, has been washed with grey plaster.

      Ruxton Rise Residence is one of several homes that Studio Four has completed in Melbourne.
      Others include Central Park Road Residence, which has cosy interiors inspired by the Danish concept of hygge, and Bourne Road Residence, which has a stark all-white facade.
      Photography is by Shannon Mcgrath.

      Read more: More