Considering my love for interesting home conversions,
Cowshed House, by Sydney-based
Carter Williamson Architects, was a natural draw for me. Of course, that wall of books didn't hurt either. But I digress.
A very unique property for a residential neighborhood, Cowshed House was built from the remains of, what else, an old cowshed. A lot of work had to be done to make it habitable while still preserving the unique building itself, but as you can see, the resulting home is quite lovely. As the architects explain:
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 well situated, hugging the southern
boundary with provision for a private, north facing courtyard.
Our clients share a vision for
gregarious family life which is reflected in their new home. The spaces
are truly ‘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.
(Photography by
Brett Boardman. Via
Desire to Inspire)
