#new uses
COURTYARD HOUSE, LOW COST, SUSTAINABLE
Carterwilliamson architects: carterwilliamson.com
The old cowshed in Glebe provided a rare opportunity to preserve some of the character and charm of this eclectic neighborhood. The shed was simple, essentially a long brick wall that held the urban edge of corner and street and returned to house a few bedrooms in the place of the former stalls. It was the most basic of accommodation but was was well situated, hugging the southern boundary with provision for a private, north facing courtyard.
The house is conscious of it s dense urban context and provides privacy for occupants and neighbouring buildings through the use of high clerestory windows and secluded courtyard. The spaces are ai???open plan , each room connected to the others and to the sunny, green courtyard that acts as a natural extension of the living spaces. Wherever possible the fabric of the original cowshed was preserved, but sadly much was structurally unsound. What was rebuilt carries the spirit of the cowshed, composed from a palette of simple, robust materials; concrete slabs polished as flooring, recycled bricks left as face for the internal walls and the timber structure exposed. Oiled timber doors and windows and corrugated cladding hint at the Australian pastural vernacular now all but forgotten in this rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.
Studio: Carter Williamson Architects
Project name: Cowshed
Year: 2013
Location: Glebe, Sydney, Australia
Typology: Residential
Photographer: Brett Boardman
