Crown St
By Brooke Aitken Design
Nestled within the busy inner-city of Sydney, this warehouse-converted apartment is infused with elemental Japanese design to create a minimalist, sustainable oasis that invites reflection and relaxation for a retired couple. The apartment is located at the back of a ground level 4-floor old warehouse in the heart of a busy inner-city area famous for its restaurant life.
All windows overlook two small internal lightwell courtyards that provide no aspect to the street, nor any views. At times, no direct sunlight penetrates the apartment altogether. It did however have expansive ceiling heights which had been lost within a warren of small rooms on different floor levels. We saw the potential that it could provide a level of introspection and calm from the city. Having been influenced by their travels to Japan, our clients wished to reduce household possessions and enjoy their retirement in a minimalist calm oasis whilst being connected to the buzz of society on their doorstep.
We deleted a bedroom and created a large living area grounded by a polished concrete floor. We emphasised the great ceiling height with timber screening that acts as a backlit interior forest of soft-coloured oak. A change in floor height indicates the change to the ‘night’ level of the dwelling, timber-floored for bare feet use of a study, bedroom, and bathroom. Throughout, materials were chosen for their minimalist and natural properties.
This project is a re-imagining of what retirement living can be. Our clients expect to live out their lives in this property. Details and materials were not only considered for their aesthetic effect and the corresponding mental health effect to the occupants, but also for their longevity, durability, and practical use.
Kitchen size reduced to increase well-ordered storage space, whilst concurrently the previous family home possessions were filtered to a minimum. The focus became the aesthetic experience of a day passing in an emptier living space and each element within was chosen to increase enjoyment, ease of use and comfort.
Shortlisted for the DIA awards in 2018. Shorlisted for the Houses Awards (Australia) in 2018.
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Professional
We are architects who believe interior design is an essential part of the design equation for seamless, coordinated and strong conceptual visions.
Brooke Aitken Design is both an architectural and interior design practice that focusses on the combination of both to create beautiful rooms. We are one of the few architectural practices in Australia that can both build and furnish a project. We design from both the external-in and the internal-out, blurring the traditional division between architecture and interior design for a finish that is seamless in vision. We specialise in mid to high-end residential architecture and design but are also well versed in and welcome many other project types. Our preference for architectural projects are ones that extend to the interiors, yet we regularly undertake interior decoration without an architectural requirement.
Brooke Aitken heads a small boutique team of architects and interior designers that are well trained in quality design and construction methods. We enjoy problem-solving and providing our clients with a fresh eye with both professionalism and enthusiasm. We work at many scales, whether it be feasibility and strategic planning for a corporate client or procuring a single item for a residential client. The practice is passionate about providing a design service that best suits the project, the client’s brief, and their aesthetics.
We have a strong contemporary aesthetic that stands the test of time beyond stylistic fashions. We term this 'Soft Modernism'. However, in each project we aim to weave the client’s personality and tastes, which makes each design singular. Beyond aesthetics, our aim is to create livable, sustainable and practical spaces which relate to the brief, budget and site. We concur with the tenets Slow Architecture Movement and believe that renovation can often be better than replacement.
Colour plays an important role as do material and decorative choices, but all are determined by the conceptual design response at the beginning of the project.