A Graceful Connection – Brunswick House by Placement

After living in Brunswick House for almost a decade, the client was already settled and was looking for an authentic rejuvenation of the spaces. Placement uses natural materials that will stand the test of time, steering away from artificial finishes to use robust materials such as bricks from Brickworks, timber and concrete.

Located in Brunswick, Victoria, Brunswick House by Placement is a showcase of how a home can be both quaint and fulfilling. Sitting on a narrow block, the house is flanked by neighbours on either side, with a north-to-south-facing layout. Tasked to rectify a defunct terrace typology that is common to the area, the architect has employed a refined sense of detail throughout, with a focus on employing materials that bring a natural influence inside.

Tasked to rectify a defunct terrace typology that is common to the area, the architect has employed a refined sense of detail throughout, with a focus on employing materials that bring a natural influence inside.

Choosing to maintain the main bedroom, Placement has followed the idea of retaining certain aspects of the original home to reflect on its history. Moving on through the hallway to the centre of the house, a sense of release and decompression is given by a double height ceiling, which also helps to alleviate the home’s narrowness. As an additional response to the  narrow site, Placement introduces light into the deeper spaces with a central courtyard finished with large glass windows that allow for a wealth of light. From the dining area there are two hallways, one which accesses the bathroom and another that works as a galley kitchen – at the end of both hallways sits the living room, mezzanine and rear garden.

Imagining the mezzanine level as a multipurpose room, second bedroom or office, the architect has designed the space to zone the separate dining and living areas. Further reflecting this is the employment of bricks as the main material element. Laid in a stack bond to accentuate the verticality in the space, the Nubrik artisan by Brickworks offers a tactility and textural quality to the interior. Using brick to help define the interior detailing, the material works alongside the timber joinery and does the heavy lifting of the interior design. Creating a seamless transition between living, dining and mezzanine, the timber joinery creates overlapping lines that helps to produce a warmth and feeling of being nestled within a singular volume. From the living room, the backyard has been imagined as a courtyard, sandwiched between a rear pavilion and living room façade.

Laid in a stack bond to accentuate the verticality in the space, the Nubrik artisan by Brickworks offers a tactility and textural quality to the interior.

By combining bricks, concrete, timber and warm paint finishes, Placement has created an interior palette that is pleasing and timeless. Allowing the owner to reflect on the home’s history, Placement installs a floor plan that effortlessly flows from entrance to the rear garden.