Location
Canberra
Year
In Progress
Images
Cumulus
Client
DOMA Group
Land of
Ngunnawal country
Brickworks
A collection of luxury townhouses in a new development reflecting the rich heritage of Canberra’s historic Brickworks.
As part of a new development to bring Canberra’s Yarralumla Brickworks back to life, we’ve designed 22 premium townhouses that echo the site’s traditional materials and textures, yet maintain a contemporary, individual identity. Disused for decades, the historic site once produced the red bricks that built the city’s first homes and Parliament House. Channelling Canberra’s ‘garden city’ principles, where biodiverse green spaces never feel too far away, each townhouse has an open yet private feel.
Brick by brick
The metal roof and solid brick base of the Brickworks’ kilns inspired our designs. The townhouses appear like metal-clad elements above a heavy brick podium hiding the basement car park. We chose tried and tested materials over anything trendy to reflect the Brickworks’ timelessness. A textured, crafted brickwork pattern contemporises the designs.
We want owners to be able to point their home out from a distance. Chimney-style skylights reference the Brickworks, but also allow sunlight to stream into each home in a different way. Inside, the main joinery as a single timber block takes its cues from the traditional brick moulds that once made bricks on site.
Stay in character
To make the dwellings feel more like houses than apartments, we created defined kitchen, living and dining spaces inside the home. Canberra’s interesting mid-century architecture inspired our choice of interiors, which focus on craft of simple elements. A hidden pantry, private car park access and the outdoor area’s retractable awning add a further sense of luxury. As does the generous outdoor space for each townhouse, with spacious front and rear terraces.
The homes are right next door to the revitalised Brickworks, giving residents effortless access to shops, restaurants, bars and a wellness centre. Yet the townhouses don’t feel overlooked. Canberra is known as the ‘garden city’, with its suburban character balanced by plenty of biodiverse, connected vegetation. With this in mind, we configured our townhouses and their windows so they enjoy views to the Brickworks, bush and hills beyond while maintaining a sense of privacy and seclusion.
BRICKWORKS
Stripped-back Georgian heritage and specialist stonemasonry.
A sympathetic restoration shaped by modern tastes.
Contrast and balance, tradition and modernity. Just what a family home needs. We responded to Symmons Plains’ significance in Tasmania’s history while curating a contemporary home for the new custodians - a family of seven.
We aimed to reveal the richness of the stories that came before. Colonist John Arndell Youl built Symmons Plains in 1839 with a structure crafted using early Australian settlement techniques. Youl famously introduced the brown trout to Australia. His family lived at Symmons for seven generations until it was bought in 2011. When we demolished the building’s original concrete, it revealed an eclectic mix of bed springs and old fencing added for reinforcement; a history of its own. It felt exciting to arrive at an answer for open, contemporary living within a building essentially the antithesis of that.
2020
Tasmanian Architecture Awards
Colorbond Steel Architecture - Commendation
2020
Tasmanian Architecture Awards
Residential Architecture
Location
Ben Lomond, Tasmania
Year
In Progress
Images
Cumulus
Land of
Ngunnawal country
Client
DOMA Group
Brick by brick
The metal roof and solid brick base of the Brickworks’ kilns inspired our designs. The townhouses appear like metal-clad elements above a heavy brick podium hiding the basement car park. We chose tried and tested materials over anything trendy to reflect the Brickworks’ timelessness. A textured, crafted brickwork pattern contemporises the designs.
We want owners to be able to point their home out from a distance. Chimney-style skylights reference the Brickworks, but also allow sunlight to stream into each home in a different way. Inside, the main joinery as a single timber block takes its cues from the traditional brick moulds that once made bricks on site.
Stay in character
To make the dwellings feel more like houses than apartments, we created defined kitchen, living and dining spaces inside the home. Canberra’s interesting mid-century architecture inspired our choice of interiors, which focus on craft of simple elements. A hidden pantry, private car park access and the outdoor area’s retractable awning add a further sense of luxury. As does the generous outdoor space for each townhouse, with spacious front and rear terraces.
The homes are right next door to the revitalised Brickworks, giving residents effortless access to shops, restaurants, bars and a wellness centre. Yet the townhouses don’t feel overlooked. Canberra is known as the ‘garden city’, with its suburban character balanced by plenty of biodiverse, connected vegetation. With this in mind, we configured our townhouses and their windows so they enjoy views to the Brickworks, bush and hills beyond while maintaining a sense of privacy and seclusion.
