Architecture<\/a> awards.<\/p>\nOriginally designed as a service space by the acclaimed Australian architect Roy Grounds in 1941, its rebirth was overseen by Timothy Hill of Partners Hill. The project, titled Studio8, has transformed a poorly executed 1970s apartment conversion into an ambient retreat that belies its tiny footprint.<\/p>\n
That sinking feeling: the sunken lounge in Studio 8. Photograph: Tom Ross<\/p>\n
In 2022, despite the apartment\u2019s \u201cgrim\u201d condition, Goren says he and his partner were drawn to its \u201camazing location\u201d and its \u201cheritage and provenance\u201d, not to mention the north-facing courtyard that\u2019s almost bigger than the apartment. They lived in it as it was for about 18 months, \u201cjust imagining what it could be\u201d.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s where Hill \u2013 whose interest in converting secondary spaces into quality housing stock dates back to his university days \u2013 came in.<\/p>\n
\u201cI saw it as a huge privilege, because I was able to run a sort of a test case,\u201d Hill says. \u201cMaking little houses is a very particular sensibility. It\u2019s not just squashed big. Every 25mm counts.\u201d<\/p>\n
The large, multi-purpose table gives the space \u2018the generosity of a salon\u2019. Photograph: Tom Ross<\/p>\n
When working with such a small internal footprint, Hill says some trickery is required. Entering the property, he explains, one has to walk through the courtyard, all the way to the end of the building to the front door, then loop back around through a \u201cmicro-hall\u201d to the bedroom, \u201cso it feels like the bedroom is a mile away\u201d.<\/p>\n
When entering from the terrace, a grand round table \u2013 a nod to Grounds\u2019 penchant for circular courtyards \u2013 functions as an entry table, a work from home desk, dining table, cocktail bar and storage. This gives the space \u201cthe generosity of a salon\u201d beside the sunken lounge, Hill says. Split-level floors, seldom found in small spaces, add a sense of movement and demarcation of space. \u201cYou\u2019re on little journeys everywhere you go.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u2018micro-hall\u2019 and the \u2018nurturing\u2019 green bedroom. Photograph: Tom Ross<\/p>\n
As a general rule, but especially in smaller spaces, Hill is opposed to open plan design, which can make it \u201cfeel like you\u2019re living in a storage container\u201d. In order to avoid the \u201cindignity\u201d of what he refers to as \u201ckidilis\u201d (kitchen, dining, living spaces), a separate micro kitchen \u2013 still large enough to house the Aga \u2013 has been preserved with an integrated kitchen bench-cum-breakfast nook.<\/p>\n
Rather than clutter the sleeping quarters with built-in robes, storage for clothes is in a walk-in across the hall, \u201cwhich makes it feel enormous and gives the bedroom a lot of graciousness\u201d. The thick walls and tranquil green colour scheme, Ronnen says, make the space feel like a \u201ccocoon\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe sleep quality is great \u2026 it\u2019s enveloping and kind of nurturing in a way.\u201d<\/p>\n
Throughout the apartment, storage is secreted in walls and under tables. Photograph: Tom Ross<\/p>\n
One of the bedroom walls is completely carpeted, while the living spaces feature other strategic sound absorbent materials: cork panelling is used for a feature wall in the living area while the upholstery is \u201cgluttonously dense\u201d, Hill says.<\/p>\n
Having all design choices do \u201cat least\u201d double duty is imperative, Hill says. In the tiny bathroom a single piece of bent pickled steel joinery functions as a vanity bench, support for the basin, the enclosure for the laundry basket, space to hang towels, the toilet roll holder, and space for a toilet brush. The entire piece is held together with just four screws. Throughout the home, storage is secreted under tables and in walls.<\/p>\n
Thanks to improved waterproofing technologies, converting old \u2013 and odd \u2013 spaces is easier than ever, Hill says. \u201cIt\u2019s already built and it already has infrastructure, so it\u2019s incredibly good value and incredibly good for the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Last week on a balmy spring evening, Ronnen Goren and his partner had dinner in a small pavilion…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":945728,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-945727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/945727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=945727"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/945727\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/945728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=945727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=945727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=945727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}