The Collingwood White House is an apartment in an urban warehouse conversion. Like a gallery, the design uses a minimal intervention to create a refined, loft-style backdrop for the clients’ developing collection of colourful 70’s and mid century furniture and artworks.
The dynamic open plan creates unique interactions with the elongated verticality of the two-level volume and allows generous light to penetrate through the apartment. Dramatic double height voids create impact and connections between the levels.
Spaces are partially separated by carefully positioned large joinery items, light features, and a central spiral stair. These insertions give definition and boundary, both vertically and horizontally, to the various programs within the open volume. In doing so, the design reveals surprises at every corner.
A strategy of featuring the existing shell and its visible history of blemishes alleviated the need for many newly constructed structures. The new design incorporates the reuse and redressing of the existing kitchen, bathroom, internal walls and many fittings. This is combined with a selective, restrained materials palette introducing layers of texture through white raked plaster and pegboard emphasising the sense of openness throughout.
The program creates flexible environments to accommodate living and working functions. The ground level focuses of public open spaces while the upper level creates a point of difference with more secluded zones for sleeping and working. Positioned on the upper level, a more intimate living space off the master suite is distinguished by its moody dark blue colour.
Through reuse and restrained intervention, the Collingwood White House is reimagined as an interactive space that acts as a rich backdrop for featuring the owners’ eclectic collection of furniture and art.
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