JPR Architects have achieved further Shortlist success at this year’s International Design & Architecture Awards, with their project ‘McMahon’s Point Residence’ landing a spot in the Residential £2.5-5 Million (property value) category. The owner saw that this 1883 heritage listed residence offered great opportunities for a total refurbishment and for the insertion of a contemporary home into the listed heritage fabric.
The house itself had undergone a number of reincarnations over its 130 year life span, and when the current architect-owner purchased the house, it was being used as film and sound editing studios, and internally it had been divided up into a large number of small dark sound-proofed studios, and had almost totally lost any architectural quality or value. The heritage status of the house meant that the property could never be demolished so a creative redesign and refurbishment was the only option to save the building from further degradation.
The design works well as it makes use of the surrounding landscape, offering spectacular views of Sydney Harbour from the roof terrace. A large courtyard was carved through the centre of the structure to admit light into the heart of the home. A living room, kitchen, family room, and library are clustered around the courtyard and all rooms are connected with the courtyard and interconnected with one another by means of sliding folding doors, so that the building can take advantage of the Sydney summers. A basement car-park for 5 cars and a wine cellar were excavated into the sandstone underneath the existing 130 year old structure.
