This inner-city, architect-designed home/art studio is a standard in simplicity and elegance. Sporting a voluminous 6 meter high living area, this 3-bedroom design feels generous and inviting. Situated on a tight block in a flood zone, the build provided some interesting challenges. The end result is a seamless blending of humble materials to create a modern, homely and endearing living experience.
“Importantly to us, Marty and his team demonstrated integrity and transparency throughout, strength of character in the important moments and a commitment to customer service – and all at a competitive price. Stafford constructions brought valuable experience and knowledge to building our house, an attitude of ‘nothing is too difficult’ and an enthusiasm from start to finish.“ – David & Jen Lamb
The Design
“#theartshed2019 was designed as a studio and gallery for Jen’s art, in the form of a shed which pays respects to the tradition of Australian domestic architecture; ‘an architectural archetype mythologised in the collective unconscious all the way from the back yard to the bush’ (Beck + Cooper, Clare Design: Works 1980-2015). Lindsay Clare challenged me as an architecture student to develop a set of principles and bring those principles to each project. In #theartshed2019, I wanted to explore the notion of ‘Regional Efficiency’; a cultural respect for Newcastle with an appropriate place-form, but in a way that eliminated wasted space, maximised member spacing in a grid plan, reduced waste and incorporated targeted recyclable materials. Importantly, the building had to perform environmentally – solar heating and collection via massing in the winter, restriction of solar gain and cross-ventilation to cool the building in summer, and natural filtered light. The simplicity of the design was a statement against the ‘McMansion’ typology, with inspiration taken from the people of Newcastle who can present as tough and cold on the outside but have softness and warmth on the inside.” – Dave Lamb
