Inside An Architects Own Home Designed As a Tranquil Escape in the Treetops (House Tour)

When designing an architects own home above their own workplace, Smart Design Studio thought of the industrial qualities of the surrounding precinct and how they could bring them into the design of the home of William Smart. One particular element to the interior design and architecture of an architects own home are the four vaults that feature heavily throughout. Fascinated with how he could light the vaults in different ways, Smart looked into how they would allow light play to reveal the material texture and quality of the home.

Originally attracted to the 1950s warehouse because of its endearing built form, the architect saw past its deteriorated exterior and knew that it could become more. As typical with most warehouses, the front brick facade hid an office space and mezzanine that overlooked the warehouse. After demolishing the front half of the building, Smart Design Studio created a new structure that was seven metres wide for the whole 34-metre length of the building. This new structure was then designed to hold the reception, staff bathrooms, offices, meeting rooms, a boardroom and, importantly, the residence above.

Moving the house tour of an architects own home upstairs, the interior design reveals a tranquil and quiet reprieve from the office below. The residence above allows its owners to come inside and feel disconnected from the city and working offices below. To emphasise this, the dwelling features unusual shapes and different materials that connect to create a sense of calm. The architect has carefully planned the vaults to capture views of the surrounding trees, sky and distant city buildings at various points throughout the space. After following the circular staircase upwards into the private parts of an architects own home, the house tour reveals an entrance foyer that has been designed to double as an office. Within these two areas, the bricks are placed in a curved position so that the light easily moves around the space. From here, the house tour moves deeper into the home, where the first of the four vaults is revealed.

There is a seamless connection from one room to the next as the home features no doors. This was a choice to encourage an uninterrupted connection from the living room, kitchen and bedrooms to the outdoor entertainment areas. Moreover, as the kitchen exists within the middle of the home, the architect chose not to install any tall cupboards to further encourage the flow of the interior. Throughout the rest of the house tour of an architects own home, artwork, which has been collected over the years, has been peppered about. By taking a small idea and making it happen, William Smart has created an architects own home that truly suits his interests. Additionally, proud of how the materials emphasise the home, Smart reflects on how engaging with people in the right way can elevate the end result.

00:00 - Introduction to the Architects Own Home
01:05 - The Original 1950s Warehouse
01:54 - Creating Tranquility Through Shapes and Materials
02:49 - A Walkthrough of the Home
04:42 - Proud Moments

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Photography by Sean Fennessy.
Architecture and interior design by Smart Design Studio.
Build by A J Bristow and Sons.
Styling by Alexandra Gordon.
Landscape design by Fieldwork.
Engineering by Northrop.
Joinery by Interex Custom Joinery.
Artwork by Bianca Chang, T-yong Chung, Peter De Potter, Dung Ming-Ling, Mike Parr, Todd Robinson and Coen Young.
Filmed by The Local Production.
Edited by HN Media.
Production by The Local Production.

Location: Alexandria, New South Wales, Australia

The Local Project acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land in Australia. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our country and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.

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