SRG House by Studio Johnston
Originally built in 1972 as a Sydney home for the prominent Melbourne architect, Sir Roy Grounds, SRG House by Studio Johnston draws on warm, natural materials which invoke a retro yet contemporary style.
Words: Georgie Ward I Photography: Anson Smart
Photo: Anson Smart
Photo: Anson Smart
Keeping within the building's footprint, the heritage-listed home has been redesigned for contemporary family life, carving new immaculate spaces, while maintaining the integrity of the original structure and its material language.
Located on a steep waterfront looking across the Parramatta River, the three-storey concrete residence sits at a 45 degree angle to the street, zigzagging along the property, it sidesteps trees and sand-stone outcrops.
Designed by Conrad Johnston, from Studio Johnston, the goal for the reformation was to turn the outdated two-bedroom house into a four-bedroom sustainable home that could cater for multi-generational living, openings to the outdoors, and the insertion of a plunge pool for the enjoyment of swims against Sydney Harbour views.
Conrad’s knowledge and understanding of the site began with him living in the home unaltered to understand the light and landscape of the home soon be his own. Sometime later, the renovation process began.
The home’s materiality is inspired by the 70s, tuned to the original structure palette of the property’s painted brick, cedar windows and concrete. The rotted timber window frames were replaced with a Western Red Cedar, the interior linings were stripped and the concrete ceilings, pillars and floors were all restored as new. The bathrooms have been tiled in a red Japanese finger mosaic, a nod to the original bathroom tiles found on site.
Moody browns, rustic pinks, softer caramels and deep reds scatter the home, offset by more simple concrete and white brick walls. Each space shows off an array of carefully curated and contrasting colour choices, working together to create an inviting and homely series of spaces.
“Within the restored concrete shell, new interior elements help furnish the space and soften its geometry.”
Stripping back the walls of the home to expose its concrete shell, created the opportunity to create bright, open living spaces. The house encloses a series of small courtyard spaces, overlooked by a grid of timber-framed windows between the pillars of the concrete structure.
Above, half of the first floor is given over to a large kitchen that flows into a dining area and living room with a concertina glass door that allows it to completely open out to views of the river.
The home’s rigid geometry is contrasted by curved plywood elements such as its signature curved dining banquette, complemented by brass details. ‘Working within that original geometry, we applied a softer edge in the form of curves,’ says Conrad.
Previously, the home had no opening windows to the south and west facades, and an uninsulated flat roof, meaning the building suffered extreme heat in the summer and loss in winter.
The redesign was very much focussed around sustainability – the home was designed to have no need for air-conditioning systems, and instead implemented hydronic floor heating, and expanded window openings to increase cross-ventilation within the lofty interior.
“The original grid set up a powerful rhythm. How we unlocked the design is by interweaving old and new.”
Photo: Anson Smart