New South Wales
With a footprint little bigger than a pair of double garages, two 80 sq m houses have been fitted onto an awkward sloping site which most would expect to contain only one. Infilling a narrow inner city laneway, these replace the original asbestos ridden bungalow, which had outlived its usefulness, with two storey houses without garages taking advantage of their proximity to public transport.
The identical houses are ‘upside down’: bedrooms below and living areas above. All ‘machines’ bathrooms, stairs, kitchens, rubbish bins, etc are rowed in front concentrating the main massing away from the street. Articulate and expressive, the resulting external appearance contributes much to the streetscape.
Internally, the houses exhibit a spaciousness and grandeur that belie their size and are private yet transparent in spite of being cheek by jowl with neighbours. Carefully arranged openings frame views onto courtyard gardens, distant trees and the sky while filtered sunlight enliven the living areas throughout the day.
Commendation for Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Little Young Street 4A &4B is an exemplary urban infill project on a tiny site on a laneway in Redfern. Both rational and idiosyncratic, the house sparkles with ideas and innovation, a blueprint to increase housing in our inner-city neighbourhoods and bring life to Sydney’s backstreets.
The house is a model for compact living and a masterclass in experimentation, invention, and detail. Windows carefully edit views to the garden and sky. The planning and detail are exacting; walls act as storage, a colourful palette and a Japanese raked garden – “straight out of Shogun” – provides space for the owners’ personality.
With a footprint little bigger than a pair of double garages, two houses have been fitted on an awkwardly shaped and sloping site which most would expect to find only one. They exhibit a spaciousness and grandeur that belies their size, every part being used without any redundancy, and are private yet very transparent in spite of being cheek by jowl with neighbours.
Articulate and expressive, the massing lends the laneway much charm, acting as a wonderful backdrop to street activities while, inside, the Zen Garden, distant treetops and the sky are ever present, various streaks of sunlight enlivening the living area throughout the day.
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
