Luigi Rosselli Architects

Bougainvillea Row House

Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander


BOUGAINVILLEA ROW HOUSE

Luigi Rosselli

ARCHITECTS
Luigi Rosselli

STRUCTURAL CONSULTANT
Rooney & Bye Pty Ltd

JOINER
Kitchen Trend Pty Ltd

MANUFACTURERS
Parachilna, Tongue n Groove, Vola

PROJECT ARCHITECT
Sean Johnson

INTERIOR DESIGNER
Sean Johnson & Client

BUILDE
Building With Options Pty Ltd

LANDSCAPER
Butler & Webb Pty Ltd

PHOTOGAPHS
Justin Alexander, Sean Johnson

AREA
98 m²

YEAR
2017

LOCATION
Woollahra, Australia

CATEGORY
Houses

Text description provided by architect.

Sydney’s planners are considering the return of the terraced house, or row house, as a favoured residential building type.

Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander
Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander
Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander

It is believed the terrace could be one solution to addressing housing affordability; by allowing the subdivision of standard quarter acre blocks of land into narrow strips and building adjoining two-three storey dwellings.

This Woollahra terrace demonstrates that, even on a small site, you can fit a home with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a guest flat, a garage, and an open-plan living, dining, kitchen suite, without missing out on a study, dressing room, laundry, balcony, lightwells and two wonderful courtyards. Economy of space forced the architects to think clever, and employ efficient solutions to home planning.

The Adolf Loos concept of “Raumplan” was the inspiration, with the interlocking of each room, Tetris style, within the strict wall boundaries and council restrictions.

Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander
Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander
Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander

Split levels between the front and the back help the adaptation to the site slope and to shorten the stair flights, three storeys have been compacted to the front of the house and two taller storeys containing a living room and the lightwell sit to the rear.

Elevated above the street, the entry courtyard is dominated by an established bougainvillea plant and overlooked by a balconet or “Juliet Balcony”. It is a sunny northerly terrace ideal for a midwinter Campari & Soda.

Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander
Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander

Between the main house and the studio / garage at the back is a second courtyard where, weather permitting, the family gravitate to enjoy an open space for the children to play, and to savour the fruits of the olive tree and the barbeque, and the warmth of the outdoor wood burning fireplace.

Designing for a film director requires good planning and engaging imagery, the stair balustrade with fish scale brass screen is not a standard balustrade by any means.

Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander
Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander

The powder room inserted under the stair is a voluptuous space that feels nothing like an aircraft WC, despite its dimensions being smaller.

The dining seat takes inspiration from the Michelin Man and Irish furniture designer, Eileen Gray.

Bougainvillea Row House


Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander
Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander
Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander
Bougainvillea Row House
© Sean Johnson
Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander
Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander
Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander
Bougainvillea Row House
© Justin Alexander


Bougainvillea Row House
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Luigi Rosselli Architects
T +61 2 92811498
Luigi Rosselli Architects
122 Buckingham St, Surry Hills NSW 2010, Australia