A Curated Connectedness – Northbridge by Tobias Partners

Intimately inserted among a curated series of lush subtropical gardens, Northbridge challenges the traditional scale and connection to context of a typical pied-à-terre, carving its own template. Tobias Partners forms moments of controlled expansion and contraction, motioning movement through voluminous spaces to sculpt a home that is ultimately grounded in family, togetherness, and life in Australia.

The Sydney residence for a well-travelled family, Northbridge forms the base for their immersion in life whilst in Australia. Many city-specific homes for those who live in multiple destinations are typically modest in scale and within an established building setting. This proposal defies that notion. “The owners have different homes in different locations, each reflecting different parts of their personalities and corresponding to the locations,” describes Nick Tobias, Tobias Partners Founding Principal. “Although they are a very international family, when they come together, they are inseparable, and the home needed to reflect that.” The generous four levels allow both passive and active areas to coexist without much separation needed within the planning, and a flowing openness is felt as a result. A key directive was that all family members needed to be able to share any one living space at the same time. “[The owners] like things that are sophisticated, but they also like to live in an informal way,” adds Nick, emphasising that the home needed primarily to be private and act as a retreat that was uniquely expressive of them.

The generous four levels allow both passive and active areas to coexist without much separation needed within the planning, and a flowing openness is felt as a result.

The landscaping is integral to this sense of seclusion and personality, as well as in connecting to a sense of place. From the initial bridge that traverses through a more private garden on the western front of the site and out to the openness of the front façade, the landscape plays an integral role in emphasising a sense of wellbeing. Whilst in most cases the design of a home precedes the design of the landscape, in the case of Northbridge, a close engagement throughout both disciplines was crucial from the beginning and throughout the design and construction process.

“We wanted to draw the landscape that exists within the site inwards, to allow you to experience the landscape as soon as you enter the space,” describes Richard Peters, Director and Design Lead at Tobias Partners. “The entry experience sets the tone for the home as you walk across a bridge to the front door, which then reveals a two-storey living space with views out to the harbour.” From there on, “everywhere you look on the site there is a lush abundance, and it feels incredibly natural and deliberate,” he describes. “The landscape weaves its way into the house through indoor plants and there is a blurring of boundaries between and within the site and around the edges of the perimeter also.” The home becomes as much an immersion in a densely formed landscape as it is an architectural expression.

From the initial bridge that traverses through a more private garden on the western front of the site and out to the openness of the front façade, the landscape plays an integral role in emphasising a sense of wellbeing.

Furthering its connection to the landscape, the building is nuzzled into the terrain by carving into the site’s sandstone substructure and creating a platform to place the home upon. “We’ve created an almost sub-natural environment,” reflects Nick. “We cut the rock to create a rear courtyard, then dropped essentially a four-storey cube into that position, oriented out toward the view, while also creating a unique connection to the street.” Due to the site’s limited accessibility, differing panel finishes were selected to suit the different areas – exposed concrete, charred cedar panelling and polished plaster, which then came together with the same sized panels of louvres and glass to complete the outer shell.

Taking advantage of the thermal mass of both the bedrock and the structural materiality, the home is able to self-regulate temperature through-out the year. “We wanted to design a building that was durable and that will last for 100-plus years,” adds Nick. “Not relying on mechanised AC and controlling the sun inside and outside with operable awnings, sliding doors and the courtyards was integral – each element takes advantage of the cooling effect of the landscape, making the most of the predominantly masonry structure and its thermal mass.”

Accessed from the uppermost storey, the overall form aligns with the rhythm of the existing streetscape by appearing as only one level on approach. Once inside, that perception is vastly altered. “The main stair is situated at the core of the home,” describes Richard, “and we punctuated the roof with a light well to draw light down into the levels, with all access to the various zones internally centring around this point.” Asa deliberate engagement with nature, there is minimal architectural lighting throughout, with orientation and openness instead relied upon to illuminate the spaces. “The only light introduced is ambient light,” Richard adds. “It has all been strategically positioned – shining onto artwork or joinery and over task areas. We wanted to under-light the home, creating atmosphere, allowing decorative lights to be their own sculptural moments throughout.”

In defining its own typology amid Sydney’s iconic sandstone, Northbridge sees Tobias Partners capture the essence of living openly yet privately, whilst also connecting and responding to the natural elements. “While [the clients] wanted a modern home, they also wanted a warm and inviting home,” says Nick. “We worked closely to keep everything simple but eclectic, while also reflecting their worldliness.