The Corner Shop House | Downie North | 2025 | 澳大利亚
With a restored brick facade, soaring concrete forms and a distinctive breezeblock screen, The Corner Shop House is a considered response to a layered urban site designed around the movement of the sun.Situated on a corner block in Sydney’s innerwest suburb of Camperdown, The Corner Shop House speaks to both the old and the new. Originally built in the late-1800s, the terrace’s most recent iteration was a beloved corner shop. “As a corner site, there was all this potential in terms of what the building could be,” says architect Catherine Downie of Downie North. “Very early on we decided to retain the walls, even though they’re not heritage-listed. We were aware that it held a lot of value to the community.” She and fellow founder Daniel North reimagined the site with a commercial space on the ground level and a private residence above.
Everything except for the facade was removed, and it was propped up while the new building was carefully sleeved into the shell. In retaining the nine-metre parapet and brick envelope, Downie North was able to work within the commercial zoning to build up to three levels. The team worked with the topography of the site to create a rear terrace garden and garage on the lower level, allowing a high level of amenity to be achieved within a small footprint. “We built on every part of the block we could,” says Downie. “But it doesn’t feel that way from the outside.”Inside, the layout unfolds vertically. The commercial space is accessible from the street via a fluted glass door. A large rear pivot door leads to the courtyard, while a central stair of folded, perforated metal directs you to the private quarters above. Here, the doubleheight kitchen and dining areas are oriented towards expansive north-facing windows overlooking the neighbourhood rooftops. The third level, cocooned at the height of the trees, houses two bedrooms and a bathroom. “One of the things that we often look at, particularly in our urban projects, is trying to get you to move around the entire site so that you have this journey of discovery,” says Downie.
The grand rear facade is composed of dynamic, sculptural concrete forms. “The client gave us a lot of creative freedom,” she says, “and almost everything has been a bit of an experiment of pushing the boundaries with concrete.” These monumental geometric arcs act as a brise-soleil. “The concrete forms were generated by tracing the path of the sun and then doing the inverse,” she says. “It allows the sun in as deep as it can be in winter and then keeps it skirting outside in summer.”The breezeblock screen along the eastern facade was inspired by urban Indian architecture as a means of ventilating the home while also staying sheltered from sunlight. The innovative screen filters light and shade from mature street trees into the space and allows for privacy. The interior windows can be opened to act as a breezeway, creating an open dialogue to the outdoors while still being completely protected from the elements. “The breezeblock screen accentuates that by having this linear quality,” says North. “You have the shadows from the trees, but it also gives you privacy and a beautiful, filtered light.”
This attention to capturing sunlight informs every gesture within The Corner Shop House – from clerestory windows in the bedrooms to the spectacular oculus skylight in the upstairs bathroom. “You’re always aware of the quality of the daylight,” says North. “You rise with the sun. I think that’s quite important to have that – almost like a feeling of camping.” In the courtyard designed by Dangar Barin Smith, a singular central palm tree acts as a natural counterpoint to the vertical impact of the facade, while a mix of herbs, sculptural cacti and creepers soften the curved concrete planters. This delicate balance between monumentality and intimacy throughout the site results in a calm, private sanctuary that connects its occupants to the rhythms of the day.The interior palette is pared back but warm, built on natural finishes and thoughtful detailing. “We steered away from paint and plaster as much as we could,” says North. “We only painted the metalwork, and everything else was installed as it was finished.” Bricks in varied autumnal tones form the walls, while spotted gum veneer and integrated joinery keep surfaces uncluttered and sleek. The metalwork throughout is a rich terracotta hue. “If you consider each element individually, they’re all very bold,” says Downie, “but it all feels like the same family and works well together.” The residential and commercial spaces are distinct yet echo one another, with the ground-floor area utilising red brick and brush box veneer.
Sustainability is embedded in The Corner Shop House through passive thermal strategies and a focus on longevity. “Your first point of call is actually trying to retain what’s already there,” she says. “We actually have three layers of brick. This regulates so beautifully because there’s so much thermal mass insulation in here now.” By keeping out the summer sun, welcoming the winter light, creating cross ventilation and using thermal mass, the dwelling cleverly stores the heat of the day and returns it at night.For Downie North, design is a way to authentically connect people to a sense of place. The Corner Shop House, is both a home and commercial space that reads as both contemporary and forward-thinking while proudly acknowledging its past. “The best cities are those with layers in them,” says North. “You can read what’s been added to over time and see the story of a place.”
Architecture by Downie North. Build by BCM Projects. Landscape design by Dangar Barin Smith. Furniture by Fleur Studios, Hay, Jardan, Living Edge, Mama Casa, Ted O’Donnell and Stylecraft. Lighting by Hay, Lighting Collective, Louis Poulsen and Volker Haug Studio. Carpet by Cadrys. Tapware by Brodware. Stone and tiles by Artedomus and Eco Outdoorkrause. Bricks by Krause Bricks. Appliances by V-ZUG. Artwork by Galia Gluckman, Malcolm Greenwood, Lisa Jones, Hugh McCarthy, Caroline McGregor, Anya Pesce, Ronan Pirozzi and Suzanna Vangelov.
- 项目文案：Emily Riches
- 项目摄影：Clinton Weaver
- 摄影布景：Room on Fire
- 转载自：The Local Project
- 图片@The Local Project
- 语言：英语
- 编辑：序赞网
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