The 12 Maud St Multi-residential block was a fast turn around project for a developer that we had done a previous project for. The new built form is located next to an existing heritage listed vacant building.

The existing building has been vacant for some time and the developer sought the opportunity to refurbish the existing and with this build a new addition on the co-located site that would be in-line with the Brisbane city council prescriptions.

The critical development aspect was to create a new built form that incorporates and pays homage to the existing building while at the same time being a development that is financially feasible.

At eye level the new building introduces new building elements that resonates with the existing orders and scales of the old building. The idea was to create a pedestrian thoroughfare between the two forms to stimulate the intended commercial entities in both the old and the new. This thoroughfare also acts as a ‘breathing space’ between the existing and new. This space acts as a device in which the proposed respects the existing while introducing a new order at the same time.

This order is articulated by a circulation colonnade of vaulted arches that introduce a contemporary order based on the existing buildings built form, its scale and architectural elements.

37 Osterley rd, Brisbane is a single residential dwelling that has a planning arrangement that is directly influenced by the sloping site it is located on. The site has a slope from its access point (which is the highest level) towards the back of the allotment.

This in turn negated a plan that has access with garages and a guest suite on ground level with living room, kitchen and dining on a lower ground floor. On first floor 3 bedrooms, a rumpus room and a study overlook the city towards the east and the backyard towards the west.

In effectively directing a user through the arrangement, visual links and sight lines are used to highlight and join critical aspects of the houses planning elements. As a user enters the gatehouse at highest point on the east, an opening at the very end of the built-form draws a person through a long circulation spine. This spine has a number of pause points overlooking green courtyards that orientate the users journey through the spine of the house.

At the end of this walkway the user has the opportunity to either move down towards the living room or take the staircase around the main internal courtyard to the bedrooms on level 1.

In the lower ground floor entertainment area, a series of basic internal elements are placed in relation to specific architectural elements to visually link a users experience of the interior of the house with elements on the outside. A seat in the TV area is lined with timber casements that can be opened and slided away to link this space with an exterior boma area.

Another inter-joinable area is found between the internal dining room and the external lounge area. These spaces become seamlessly merged as the sliding doors are opened to allow for larger family gatherings or when friends are over.