We were extremely honoured to receive two awards at the National Australian Institute of Architects Awards this year. Thank you once again to our wonderful clients, builders and consultant team. Thank you also to the National Award Jury.
THE ELEANOR CULLIS-HILL AWARD FOR RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE – HOUSES (ALTERATIONS AND ADDITIONS)
REDWOOD | CHENCHOW LITTLE | NSW
BUILT ON THE LAND OF THE GADIGAL AND DARUG PEOPLES OF THE EORA NATION
JURY CITATION
Great additions and alterations unlock possibilities for living in places – revealing, transforming and recasting the way houses and sites work together.
Redwood is a sinuous addition that billows down a steep site on Sydney Harbour, slipped in alongside a meticulously restored 1840s cottage. Street level and water level are five storeys apart, and Redwood creates a sequence of spaces, anchored by a long stair, that deftly orchestrates both the functional requirements of a comfortable house as well as a theatrical grand reveal of the spectacular views to the garden and harbour.
The addition cleverly converts an existing car stacker into bedrooms, extending the language of the addition across its front, and integrates existing sandstone retaining walls with crisp new garden elements expressed in concrete and steel. On the southern side of the site, the new addition tackles the proximity of an apartment building on the adjacent site by creating privacy for the occupants but also amenity for neighbours through a bushy planted roof; the addition is like a promontory.
All additions and alterations have to contend with the challenges of existing fabric, functional requirements, neighbours and streetscape. Projects like Redwood show us that the delight of architecture can be found, rather than lost, in this context. The passage from the front door, down the stair (gently curved, preventing you from seeing where it ends), through a compressed then expanded volume to the dining and living rooms – where the junction between land and water is occluded from view, placing you in the harbour – is a deeply memorable experience. Chenchow Little has made architecture that is exquisite, confident and highly compelling.
PRACTICE TEAM
- Tony Chenchow, Other
- Gerald Lau, Project Architect
- Stephanie Little
CONSULTANT / CONSTRUCTION TEAM
- Beebo Constructions, Builder
- Partridge Partners, Structural Engineer, Hydraulic Consultant
- 360 Degrees Landscape Architects, Landscape Consultant
- Matthew Byrnes, Heritage Consultant
AWARD FOR RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE – HOUSES (NEW)
GLEBE HOUSE | CHENCHOW LITTLE | NSW
BUILT ON THE LAND OF THE GADIGAL AND DARUG PEOPLES OF THE EORA NATION
JURY CITATION
Glebe House is simply a delight. Sandwiched between a large dwelling to the south and tall planting to the north that screens the public housing beyond, the linear site runs east–west, limiting access to light. A series of grand, upturned-arch windows innovatively solves this challenge by drawing light into the spaces where it is most needed. The judicious placement of voids, along with opaque glazing in places, affords the light a quality both restive and ethereal.
This new take on the timber-lined bungalow is enhanced by sculptural white interior spaces. A sinuous spiral staircase leads to the upper floor, which incorporates four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The ground floor orientates joinery to the northern perimeter, with an oak-clad carved joinery element concealing the kitchen. The front room is configured as a second living room yet has been organized so that, should a lockable garage be required, this space can be repurposed to meet the need.
The play of volume, light and view lines transitions seamlessly to a covered terrace and rear courtyard, with a broad archway framing the city view. This home is an accomplished and contemporary exemplar in residential architecture.
PRACTICE TEAM
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Tony Chenchow
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Stephanie Little
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Mark Hill, Project Architect
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Joshua Mulford, Project Architect
CONSULTANT / CONSTRUCTION TEAM
- Lochbuild, Builder
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Ruggero Benvenuti, Structural Engineer
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Taylor Consulting, Hydraulic Consultant
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Spirit Level Designs, Landscape Consultant