Murray and Ann

The architectural brief is a powerful tool that provides profound insights into the lifestyle and values of the people we design buildings for. It requires architects to translate the client’s way of living into physical structures that enhance and support their quality of life. By deeply understanding the client’s needs, preferences, and values, architects can create environments that truly resonate with those who use them, making architecture a deeply human-centred practice. On a site with a heritage overlay, the client brief required a simple dwelling that broke the pattern of mock heritage dwellings.

New dwellings in heritage places often mock heritage rather than contribute to it. The screen is a deliberate gesture to confront mock heritage facadism that tokenises the heritage details. It is an anti-façade that blurs the interior and exterior as permeable. Behind the screen lies a private sanctuary. This house is a bold response inspired by the heritage context and regulatory overlays and is a unique expression that embodies the spirit of collaboration between the architect and client.