SIR ROY GROUNDS HOUSE, BALMAIN

Residential
Written By Sonia van de Haar

elemental architecture

Sometimes colour plays a purely supporting role, remaining subtle and in service to the form, sometimes it’s the icing on a beautiful cake. For Fox Johnston’s SRG house, it was a bit of both.

In the last few years I have had the great pleasure of working with architects and designers on their own homes. Interestingly, it’s been a wonderful way for us to get to know each other, and it usually leads to further work with their firms. These jobs begin with a few hours of conversation and a site visit. Understanding the Architect’s design intent and suggesting ways that colour could add atmosphere, drama and intensity to an already great building is something I love to do.

SRG House is one such project, built by Sir Roy Grounds in 1972 on a steep waterfront site looking across the Parramatta River towards Iron Cove to the south, and Birkenhead Point to the west, it remains a contemporary and innovative design. Conrad Johnson undertook an intelligent and considered approach to retain its original character whilst ensuring it met his extended family’s needs. The project won 4 awards in 2021:

  • AIA NSW Architecture Awards 2021 - Residential Arch - Houses alts and Adds - Winner

  • AIA NSW Architecture Awards 2021 – Heritage – Commendation

  • Houses Awards 2021- Houses in a Heritage Setting – Winner

  • Houses Awards 2021- Houses Alts and Adds over 200m2 – Commendation

For a fuller appreciation of this complex and unique project, visit the Studio Johnston website.

Flashy yet modest, eccentric but purposeful – a heritage-listed house that was unique from the start continues to remain unique now. By paying attention to the details of the house’s character growth and introducing new elements, Conrad has attentively developed the charm of his new home – demonstrating that vintage can be both sustainable and modern when tweaked in the right places.

Source: Yellowtrace

 

Architects
Conrad Johnston, Stefania Reynolds, Studio Johnston

Colour Design
Lymesmith

Photography
Anson Smart

Client
Conrad Johnston

Sonia van de Haar
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