POWER AND GLORY

An angular concrete structure packs a punch in a new build on an elevated site in Sydney while its interior design offers a softly layered and textured counterpoint.

- JUDY PASCOE

 he synergy between the architecture and interior design is the standout feature of this newly built home in Sydney’s inner west, executed to perfection by Ursino Architects and designer Linda Habak, director of Studio LHD. On an elevated site with views of Drummoyne Bay and the city skyline, the house is a dramatically conceived concrete structure. Outside it’s all sharp angles and hard edges while inside there is a softness to the design that provides a graphic counterpoint.

The owners’ brief to the architect and interior designer was for a house that had the “versatility to adapt and provide moments of connection for the family but also afforded spaces to retreat to”, explains architect Robert Ursino.

With four teenagers, space and facility were always going to be top of mind in the design. “Every room – and there are many – needed to be functional and usable by all members of the family,” says Linda.

Robert adds, “Balancing the notion of creating a home that is open and grand but also cosy and functional is always a challenge. This is where I feel the interior design really shines as it has made quite a monolithic form have moments of softness and texture that create really beautiful, layered spaces to live in.”

Embracing the topography of the site the architect designed a contemporary, minimalist, four-level house with clean lines utilising layered materials and tones. The landscaping by Studio Botanica also plays its part in the scheme, softening the built form and creating intimate vistas within the property.