Benn & Penna Architecture Studio

Balmain Houses

Balmain Houses
© Tom Ferguson

Balmain Houses

Benn & Penna Architects

LIGHTING DESIGN
Simon Apps

INTERIOR DESIGN
Alice Penna

ENGINEER
Thomas Benn @ Bg & E

AREA
132 m²

YEAR
2013

LOCATION
Balmain, Australia

CATEGORY
Houses

Text description provided by architect.

The project involves significant alterations and additions to two existing Victorian-era workers cottages in the inner Sydney suburb of Balmain, Australia.

Balmain Houses
© Katherine Lu
Balmain Houses
© Tom Ferguson

Each of the properties are owned by different generations of the same family and our response investigated the interconnectedness and independence of each of these families.

Architecturally the buildings are developed as a sequence of carefully unfolding scenes – much like miniaturised landscapes of traditional Chinese gardens.

Balmain Houses
© Tom Ferguson
Balmain Houses
© Tom Ferguson

Throughout spaces are organised into a series of bending and tilting movements that carefully control privacy whilst remaining interconnected.

A sense of continuity between spaces is further developed by a gradually evolving palette of materials that alternates the uses of timber and brick.

Balmain Houses
© Tom Ferguson
Balmain Houses
© Katherine Lu

The result is a highly animated and adaptive range of experiences; from quite contemplative spaces to festive communal spaces, all contained within a singular ‘home-body’ that is capable of supporting the modern day complexities of a large family.

The importance of this development is that it achieves both an independence and interconnection between neighbouring properties, which as the number of shared households continue to decline whilst our cities continue to densify, is a relationship that will become increasingly important to achieve.

Balmain Houses
© Tom Ferguson


Balmain Houses
© Tom Ferguson
Balmain Houses
© Tom Ferguson
Balmain Houses
© Katherine Lu


Balmain Houses
Detail
Balmain Houses
Detail


Balmain Houses
Ground Floor Plan
Balmain Houses
First Floor Plan


Balmain Houses
Sketch

Benn & Penna Architecture Studio
T +61 2 95189900
Benn & Penna Architecture Studio
1a/123 Harris St, Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia