07
08
07: DESIGN LITTLE HARTLEY HOUSE
LOCATION BLUE MOUNTAINS, NEW SOUTH WALES
Described as raw, rustic and remarkable, Little
Hartley House is set among some of the most
bush-fi re prone bushland in the Blue Mountains.
In an eff ort to fortify themselves against the fi re
threat, the homeowners contacted Ruth Kealy
of Sydney fi rm Urban Possible Architects to
come up with a design that would have some
hope of withstanding the environment and
have a minimum impact on the surroundings.
The fi nal site choice “allowed the tree canopy
to be trimmed rather than cleared and enabled
the house to tread lightly on the site,” says
Ruth. A steep slope blanketed in trees, the
challenging location also claimed a distinct
absence of services. Planned as a space for
friends to spend the weekend, it was essential
the residence was low maintenance and packed
full of eco-considerations, like a rainwater tank,
as well as shielded from the main road and
the western sun. Completed over a three-year
period, the fi nal dwelling is separated into two
wings and linked by a butterfl y roof under which
sits two bedrooms, two bathrooms, living/
dining/kitchen, and a separate studio with a
third bedroom and bathroom.
Architectural Design Urban Possible Architects
(urbanpossible.com)
Builder Greenscape Constructions
(greenscapeconstructions.com.au)
Photography Tom Ferguson
08: DESIGN SUBURBAN DELIGHT
LOCATION NORTH SHORE, SYDNEY
In choosing an architectural path that didn’t
disturb the original footprint of this 1960s
home on Sydney’s Lower North Shore, the
owners received a refreshed family dwelling
that reconfi gured the existing fabric of the
space without the cost of an extension.
Achieving this meant rethinking every space
and fi nding new meaning and purposes for
those spaces that are quite often left over or
missing in many homes. Undertaking the task
was Melonie Bayl-Smith of Bijl Architecture,
who crafted a new design that revolved arounddoing away with what she refers to as an
example of the “lost space of the suburbs” —
the old-fashioned strip verandah at the front
of the house. No longer a viable element of the
modern home, the verandah was absorbed into
the interior of the house to extend the living
room to the edge of the fl oor plan. Privacy was
created with the installation of a new facade of
vertical timber slats for a seamless transition
from dated to daring.
Architectural and Interior Design
Bijl Architecture (bijlarchitecture.com.au)
Builder Wilkinstruct
Photography Katherine LuPROJECTS(^) // ARCHITECTURE