A Deliberate Reorientation – Glebe Apartment by Nicholas Gurney
As an open conversation about occupation, Glebe Apartment reorients its priorities. Instead of focusing on capitalisation, the project looks to how its occupants uniquely use the space. As a direct expression of its owners, Nicholas Gurney creates connections, embedding purpose into the spaces.
Located in the same-named Glebe, the apartment is a study of how homes are occupied and how the way that they are renovated and modelled should support an individual approach. Originally a two-bedroom home with distinctly separated zones, the inherited plan denied the open living space of natural light and spoke to a previous owner’s use of the space. Glebe Apartment is the making of a home that defies this logic, resulting from the crafting of a bespoke home with intention. The now open, connected living and dedicated office space are flooded with natural light and connected to views beyond the building. Though only 71 square metres, the newly defined footprint works hard to maximise its offering, while carving breathing room for its occupants.
As a core mission of Nicholas Gurney, the ability to work from home is an integral part of his practice, founded on the belief that the environment to work from should not take place in the leftover or unused area of the home – that it should be considered as part of the overall master plan. Opposing this is the pressure to design for re-sale and the expected number of bedrooms, for example, over the quality of the custom spaces created. Needing a dedicated space to work remotely, it was decided to remove existing dividing walls and open the second bedroom to connect to the open living zone. This newly found connection brings in long-spanning views through the open volumes, while creating the opportunity to create an inspired and considered workspace for efficiency.
Exposed concrete ceilings and rustic timber flooring form the foundations, with integrated joinery of white laminated plywood concealing amenity and reinforcing an openness within the space. Throughout, existing treasured pieces have been reused and the design aligns with the stories of each piece. While in use, the office elements are revealed behind a wall of doors. Then, when they are no longer needed, the office function is easily tucked back away. This centring of the work environment amongst the heart of the home acts as a display of its importance, proving how easily integrating flexibility with function can add significant value to the quality of the space and the wellbeing of its occupants.
Through a casting of its own template, Glebe Apartment recontextualises the approach to alteration projects. Nicholas Gurney focuses on the individual experience to create a truly customised and contemporary home.
