A Potter’s Legacy – Millswood Residence by Williams Burton Leopardi

Taking formation as a staggered series of gabled forms, Millswood Residence is inspired by the potter aunt of the current owner, who had a series of shed forms dotted across the site. Williams Burton Leopardi adopts a considered merging of the old and new, expressing the transition between the eras whilst bringing everything together through a cohesive lens.

Taking its position as a heritage home in inner-south Adelaide, Millswood Residence navigates a non-traditional site, where a creek and an accompanying bridge runs through one side. Having been handed down through generations – built by the current owners grandfather – the home pays homage to its past appearance and heritage. As the dwelling sits nestled into its namesake suburb, Millswood Residence is expanded from its formally defined heritage cottage form into a contemporary family home. Striking a harmonious balance between the residence’s storied past and the need for connection and openness, Williams Burton Leopardi overlays a sensitive binding of old and new.

As the dwelling sits nestled into its namesake suburb, Millswood Residence is expanded from its formally defined heritage cottage form into a contemporary family home.

Drawing inspiration from the previous sheds on the property – the previous owner was a potter and had a number of work sheds dotted across the site – the series of gabled forms reinforces the concept of journey. Reflecting separate functions, the forms are subtly defined yet are connected and come together as a whole. The original home to the front of the site is restored to bring increased natural light into its centre and signals the point of departure from the heritage into the contemporary.

Opening into a generous and lofted shared living, dining and kitchen space, the home retains nods to the life of the potter. Through a refined lens, structural elements such as supporting ceiling beams are left exposed, and an approach to the kitchen combines simplicity with considered connections to the past and the landscape. Connecting outwards is a key principle that underlies the resulting home, with the integration of light and the allowance for natural ventilation being crucial to how the home ultimately functions.

Striking a harmonious balance between the residence’s storied past and the need for connection and openness, Williams Burton Leopardi overlays a sensitive binding of old and new.

Both modest and deliberate, the old and new elements of Millswood Residence tell a unique story and embed a personal connection for the owner. Williams Burton Leopardi ensures the continued relevance of the history already in place, proposing spaces for new memories to take hold.