Cunningham Street Residence | studiofour

The objective for Cunningham Street Residence is to preserve the heritage of the home while increasing spatial connections and functions suitable for contemporary living. 

The original house was built in 1972 and was designed by Wayne Gillespie as his first independent project and his first home. The clients’ brief was to provide a holistic solution, their brief was to strengthen Gillespie’s original vision, as opposed to creating an alternate vision that would directly contrast it.

Central to the vision for the project is the desire for a cost-effective renovation that delivers on all the benefits of a new home, while still achieving a high level of authenticity, delivering a custom design filled with soul.

The design response reflects the integrity of the existing built fabric. The focus is on the experience rather than the form, and all emphasis is placed on the quality of experience rather than a visual statement.

Whilst the existing house was of solid build, the interiors felt lightweight by comparison, and did not flow or function as desired. Some spaces, in particular the existing kitchen, were dark and compartmentalized and did not fully harness the possible connections with the garden.

The key to maximising the internal space is increased connection and interaction of spaces through a series of portal openings. The result is a house where the architectural form and its interiors act as one, and the transition between built form and landscape is blurred.