Tusculum Residence

Tusculum Residence by Smart Design Studio
































Description by Smart Design Studio

This exciting renovation and extension of a turn-of-the-century terrace house in Sydney’s Potts Point focuses on a grand and gracefully spiralling stair that forms the pivotal junction of the old and new parts of the house. The staircase, spanning the width of the building, features delicate fan-like steel treads cantilevered from the central steel post and winding their way past six split levels, offset between the old and new sides of the house. The stair was conceived as the element that grafts the contemporary and new minimal structure to the refined, trimmed and formal older portion of the dwelling.
Spacious living areas and private zones open out from each side of the stair with one area per level alternating between the old and new building. Formal living, dining, kitchen and informal living; master suite, guest suite, study and laundry: each zone maintains a natural sense of privacy from the other through the offset in level yet maintains a sense of interconnection in the openness and movement created by the stair.
Internally, finishes in the old portion of the house are contemporary and elegant in a stripped-classical style with deep flush skirting boards, mannered panelled doors and wide timber floorboards, all in gloss white paint and offset by richly coloured set plaster walls. In contrast, the mainly white extension with the same gloss white floorboards, features a black stained timber-boarded joinery element across three levels. Bronze window frames, ironmongery and trims unite both portions of the three-storey home.
Externally, the connection to the outdoors is accentuated through a 13 metre clear span wall of sliding doors that overlooks a pocket garden. An addition to this, the bi-folding doors are concealed by joinery to provide a seamless connection to the tiered rear garden with mature pepper tree. This house offers extraordinary spaces complemented by confident forms, understated design and exquisite detail.

Breathtaking!!!!!

Beck Residence by Horst Architects





Beck Residence by Horst Architects




Beck Residence by Horst Architects



Beck Residence by Horst Architects



Beck Residence by Horst Architects



Beck Residence by Horst Architects



Beck Residence by Horst Architects



Beck Residence by Horst Architects



Beck Residence by Horst Architects



Beck Residence by Horst Architects



This is totally a design I LOVE!!!!

Description by Horst Architects

Perched atop a rocky seaside promontory, this loft renovation is an efficient response to the problem of limited space with simplicity and restraint being the guiding principles of the design solution. The clients requested a design which would accommodate office work by day and intimate social and familial gatherings by night. The interior spaces have been completely reconfigured into an open plan evolving around a double height entry volume containing the principal stairway. Sliding partitions and fabric behind frameless glass have replaced traditional means of enclosure and spatial transition. A sculptural interplay of material, light and form define spaces, which are both intimate and communal, sheltering yet expansive. Indoor and outdoor living is integrated by frameless, bi-folding doors. Windows are positioned to embrace the view of the harbor, while second skin systems such as wood shutters mediate the late afternoon sun and provide privacy. The changing play of light on surfaces, the breezes that move through and around the structure, the touch and smell of walls and gardens, the play of colors, the sound of spaces all play a part in the reception of architecture as it is lived in, and are important determinants in our well being.