DesignBuyBuild_16_2015

Winkley Workshop
Kirkwood McCarthy
Winkley Workshop is a new three storey 2-bedroom
residence on the site of a former upholsterer’s
workshop measuring 12m long by 3.7m. Upon
this small plot, a 2-bedroom open plan home with strong
interconnectivity between internal and external spaces has been
achieved.
In order to accommodate the required internal and external areas
the original footprint was increased by digging a new basement
and extending the roof, which had to be cranked according to
daylight angles to protect neighbouring properties. To the street
the building is a modest addition, yet upon entry the open-ness
and scale of the property is revealed. To each floor the plan
was arranged to prioritise space according to what is used and
enjoyed.
The layout was conceived as a vertical sequence from public
to private. At basement level an open plan kitchen, dining and
living space is designed as an extension of the outdoor area. A
brick herringbone floor flows out into the rear private courtyard
with a double height void and oversized glazing to blur the
delineation between inside, allowing ample daylight and views
to this lower level.
The middle mezzanine level is interconnected with the basement
level via a library bookcase that faces into the double height
void. A curtain partition allows this room to flex its function as
a study extension of the living area or a private sleeping area.
An open plan master with ensuite to the top level leads onto a
private balcony, continuing this pursuit of light filled, outdoor
based living that distinguishes the residence.
The experience of the property is open and voluminous,
achieved through the strategic interplay of floorplates that
enable lines of sight through the house. Services and back-ofhouse
functions are located out-of-sight under stairs or in zones
with poor daylight levels so that the living and bedroom areas
are unobstructed and light filled. Internal walls were deliberately
avoided to enhance the perceived openness, and thus curtains
and joinery are used for privacy and delineation where possible.
The minimal presence of internal walls and use of setbacks
and cutouts in floorplates, paired with extensive glazing, gives
a sense of lightness and openness that belies the scale of the
property and its dense urban setting.
Photographs: David Butler, Tim Crocker, Paul Fuller
www.kirkwoodmccarthy.com