The Globalist Podcast, Tuesday, August 22: We discuss the Brics summit in Johannesburg, the US sale of Tomahawk missiles to Australia and why Georgians are frustrated with Russian business owners.
Also, the latest developments in technology, a round-up of the news from Zürich and the backlog of ships in the Panama Canal.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Wabi-Sabi Tiny Apartment 00:52 – The Location of the Apartment 01:16 – A Walkthrough of the Wabi-Sabi Apartment 02:20 – Behind the Renovation 03:09 – The Clients Brief and the Japanese Inspiration 03:48 – Uncovering Unexpected Gems 04:14 – Playful Aspects of the Apartment 04:30 – The Paired Back Material Palette
This focus has been continued in Elizabeth Bay, with this tiny apartment taking inspiration from the client’s cultured past and the architecture of a historical Sydney building that resembles an ocean liner. ‘Kyabin’ is the Japanese spelling of ‘cabin’, a likeness which reveals itself when looking at the client’s brief to convert an 80-square-metre, two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment into a one-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with a single guest space.
The living space is also made to be more spacious and opens up to the view of Rushcutters Bay. Form over function was a defining principle of the modernist design philosophy that informed the interiors and overall style of the tiny apartment. Discovering the entire building was built with precast concrete beams – which had been concealed beneath ceiling sheeting for more than 60 years – also informed a refined materiality, deepening the interior design’s wabi-sabi undertones.
A pared-back material palette imbues the tiny apartment with a sense of calm, despite its small size, and a muted textural selection of stone and oak means the focus remains on the views beyond. The home’s design also has longevity in mind, allowing the next occupant to treat Kyabin Apartment as a blank canvas for personal expression.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to The Perfect Beach House 00:25 – Location of the House 00:42 – Brief for the Architect 01:17 – Walkthrough of the Home 02:20 – The Staircase 02:52 – Natural Elements of the House 03:23 – Material Palette 04:23 – Shadow Play in the House 04:54 – Holistic Design Approach
Connecting the house tour over the stacked living forms is the linking external staircase, which allows the two primary users to live independently, or shut down one half of the house when not in use. Furthermore, Somers Beach House is finished with an easy garden path that leads directly down to the sheltered rear yard by Fiona Brockhoff Design and then out further towards the beach.
Upon arrival to Somers Beach House, the house tour begins on the upper level, which contains the primary living, kitchen and dining zones, along with the main bedroom and bathroom. Centred around an established banksia tree, the lap pool allows for the owners to swim out and take in the surrounding views. Moreover, the linking staircase that connects the two levels also allows for easy access straight out to the beach and back through home without leaving sand in the internal spaces of the modern beachfront home.
To complement the home, the existing boatshed that was built in the 1950s was rebuilt and remodeled to the same footprint and dimensions of the original structure. Serving as a miniature version of the main home, the boatshed is filled with minimal furniture and gives the owners a space to find respite as they look over the ocean. As the house is located on the steepest part of the site, the architect has designed the home to cantilever at the southern end to both take advantage of views and connect to the landscape.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Secret Garden House 00:42 – The Original House 01:04 – The Project Brief for the Home 01:30 – The Material Palette 02:00 – A Walkthrough of the Secret Garden House 02:55 – The Kitchen 03:38 – Enhancing the Existing Garden and Landscape 04:30 – Favourite Aspects of the House
Zen Architects enhances the existing natural landscape and ties the garden back into the home. The midcentury architecture of the secret Garden House had been subjected to minimal changes over the years. Referencing the estate’s design and teardrop shape of the community gardens that once populated it, Zen Architects reflected the curved topographical gestures and fluidity with a desire to subdue the house and make the landscape the hero. Light now enters the house at every opportunity, as do views of the garden beyond.
At the front, the secret Garden House is largely in its original form, although updates have been made through furniture and by optimising thermal comfort – insulating floors and ceilings, and fitting seals and flyscreens to windows. The result is a fully electric home that captures the spirit and beauty of its original 1930s form and exceeds the contemporary 6-star home energy rating.
Upon entry, one is immediately greeted with a panoramic view of the garden beyond – Zen Architects retains the original façade and the front three rooms to provide an unassuming entry that heightens the impact of the interventions beyond. Moving into the extension of the secret Garden House, elements of the landscape – including rock forms, native vegetation and gum trees – inform the natural and organic material palette of the home.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Nordic-Inspired Apartment 00:25 – An Inner-City Suburb Location 00:48 – The Instant Connection 01:21 – A Walkthrough of the Nordic-Inspired Apartment 01:51 – The Process of Identifying a Unique Aesthetic 02:30 – The Initial Stages of the Design Process 03:20 – A Monochromatic Mood 03:33 – A Predominant Material Colour 04:26 – Repurposing and Reusing
Upon arrival, the apartment immediately stood out to the owner with its arched windows, high ceilings and window seats that complemented the home’s interior. Yet, as with all projects, Anna.Carin Design Studio worked to draw out the unique aesthetic of the apartment with architecture and furniture design.
Beginning with removing some of the walls in the apartment, Anna.Carin Design Studio delved into an array of contemporary design methods that revealed the home’s true nature. Additionally, as the inspiration of song comes into play with each project that Anna.Carin Design Studio works on, Anna-Carin chose the song Solid Air by John Martyn to influence the interior design. With the apartment tour beginning in the hallway space, Anna.Carin Design Studio has placed two main rooms on the left and two to the right.
On the left, the light-filled study allows space for work and play, whilst the master bedroom is stationed on the right side of the hall, along with the main and guest bathrooms. The primary living spaces include a kitchen, dining and living room that are all filled with a natural light from the large arched bay windows.
Through renovating the interior and architecture, Anna-Carin also considered how she wanted to feel within her own home, the emotions she wanted to evoke and, most importantly, how she wants to live there. As such, Anna-Carin McNamara sought to find three emotive words that would express the space of her apartment and decided on ‘serene’, ‘evocative’ and ‘cosmopolitan’.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro To The Modern Home 00:43 – Interpreting The Brief 01:43 – The Collaborative Process 02:27 – A Walkthrough of the Modern Home 03:53 – The Exterior Landscape and Garden 04:25 – Responding To The Site of the Home 04:58 – Balancing Natural Lighting And Voids 05:51 – Interweaving The Old And New Addition 06:59 – Creating A Sense Of Discovery in the Home 07:36 – The Internal Heating Process 08:01 – A Personal Art Gallery 08:36 – A Rewarding Resolution
As the clients desired a modern renovation to improve Wurrungwuri’s original from, Carter Williamson added a new addition that would respond to the heritage structure and rear harbour views as well as allow the owners to showcase their artwork.
Both architect and interior designer, Carter Williamson performed the perfect collaboration between the client, architect, designer and builder, which resulted in the delivery of the best modern home. From the front door, one experiences a warm welcome as they step into the original home, with living spaces to one side and bedrooms to the other.
Moving further into the best modern home, a threshold between the old and new acts as a gallery. With a double-height void allowing for a connection to the dining room below, the void becomes an important part of the home’s interior design. In the below new additions, Carter Williamson has placed darker rooms to the left that sit under the original home, whilst light-filled spaces sit to the right. The home then leads into the main entertaining rooms and kitchen as well as the dining room that sits directly under the void that features a Tom Dixon chandelier.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Waterfront Modern House 00:33 – The Serene Location 00:58 – A Walkthrough of the Home 01:29 – Separation by Stairs 02:08 – Key Interior Features 02:48 – The Intimacy of the Lower Level 03:31 – A Focus on the Exterior Landscape Architecture 04:13 – Considerations of Designing Waterfront Houses 05:05 – The Rewarding Aspects
Working with the challenge of a sloped, narrow block and existing elements, including a natural watercourse, rocky outcrops and mature tree ferns, became crucial to the design of the home. To work around the decline of the terrain, the modern house is made of varying levels that cascade towards the water.
Accessed via an external bridge that looks down over a courtyard, the top floor of the residence features a central staircase with a lounge room to one side and a dining and kitchen area to the other – both spaces open to an expansive balcony with breathtaking north-eastern views. The level below the entry houses the bedrooms, which dial around the central staircase – two of which face towards the views with an outlook that engages the tops of the tree ferns.
The lowest living area of the house links directly to the garden, enabling a beautiful intimacy with the landscape to enter into the modern house. In this sense, the garden and surrounding views are central to the home’s design. Structurally, the central staircase provides a sense of circulation and symmetry. From this vertical atrium, there are sweeping horizontal and vertical views through to the garden and down to the water beyond.
Behind the living room is a tranquil courtyard that offers shelter from the wind, as well as a pool that leads to another garden continuing down to the harbour. Down there the cube-shaped house can be seen from a different perspective – glimpsed through a curtilage of an enchanted garden of tree ferns, palms and curved sandstone walls.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Sustainable Modern Farm house 00:48 – The Brief 01:00 – Retaining the Existing Elements 01:20 – Consideration of the Carbon Footprint 01:43 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:55 – Providing Natural Light 03:44 – Drawing Inspiration from the Site and the Landscape 04:39 – A Result of Combined Efforts and Proud Moments
Nestled in the western foothills of the Blue Mountains, Stonelea by Matthew Woodward Architecture tenderly responds to context. Continuing a long-standing interest in connecting people with landscape, Stonelea gently frames the human experience within its striking rural surrounds.
An existing cluster of workers’ cottages, each with a wondrous view across the vast valley and connection to the Coxs River below, informed the planning and articulation of the home. The home’s linear and low-lying form draws on the Australian shed vernacular. A minimalist approach to form is articulated in the generous floor plan, whilst the earthy materials reflect an affinity with the landscape.
Stonelea’s barn-like form skilfully combines hardwood timber shiplap and metal roof sheeting set on a weighty podium of local stone, embedding the house atop the slope of the river and valley panorama. The architect dexterously planned around established trees, conveying a seamlessness with the landscape that belies the age of the architecture. A simple, elongated spatial arrangement gives hierarchy and order between public and private spaces.
Ensuite guest bedrooms and a kids’ room are lined along a timber-screened walkway, flanked by a large master bedroom to the north and expansive living spaces to the south, affording acoustic separation and privacy.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Intro to the Light Filled House 00:42 – The Project Brief 01:11 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:17 – Creating A Cosy Home 02:50 – The Cathedral Glass Wall 03:20 – A Focus on the Landscaping 03:56 – The Colour and Material Palette 04:41 – Experiencing the Freshness of the Home
Set within a heritage-rich area of inner south-east Adelaide, Parkside Residence is imagined as a house of considered proportions. In acknowledging its adjacent neighbours and the traditional forms in place, the proposal aims to also celebrate the silhouettes of the existing streetscape through the formation of two main gabled pavilion arrangements. Aligned perpendicularly to one another, the pair sit separated with a connective corridor space to bind them.
Whilst the home is a modern insertion within its traditional setting, by respectfully honouring the formal language of the established rooflines, the structure adds to the rhythm of the streetscape. Ashley Halliday Architects focuses on balancing both the privacy and experience of the house from within with a series of spaces that nestle comfortably. Ikon Projects crafts Parkside Residence to transition from a privately veiled home at the front to a more open collective of spaces to the rear.
Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Family House 00:31 – An Eclectic Layered Home 01:13 – The Location and A Walkthrough of the Home 02:07 – The Brief 02:51 – A Focus on the Fire Place 03:07 – Glowy, Warm and Textural 03:25 – A Beautifully Crafted Kitchen 03:50 – The Feature Staircase 05:40 – Positive Outcomes 06:09 – Proud Moments 06:22 – Favourite Aspects of the Home
Structural interventions and refreshed interiors keep valuable portions of the home whilst welcoming in contemporary layers to fit a modern context. Upon entering the house, one is greeted by an old hallway and a beautiful, robust spiral staircase designed by S&A Stairs, which binds the home together.
The stairs demonstrate fine craftsmanship and attention to detail, featuring a continuous handrail with a smooth elliptical curve and a unique curved bend. At the top of the stairs is a lightwell that bathes the long hallway in light. Down the hallway are five bedrooms, three bathrooms and a sunken lounge that extends into the kitchen and dining beyond – all of which are bordered by a lush tropical garden.
The renovation is defined by a tangible fluidity, with one of the main reworkings being the relocation of the garage, which was previously located in the centre of the house. Instead, the garage has moved below the existing house to make room for the sunken lounge, creating a well-connected home with more usable space. The fireplace lies at the centre of this new area, adding to the warm and welcoming nature of the open living area, and features a fluted travertine around the edges which not only reveals the curves of its unique form but also brings texture into the lounge room.
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