A beautiful dance of soft curves and geometric lines, Lee House is a study in balance and restraint where the architect redesigns a 200 year old home. Angelo Candalepas, director of Candalepas Associates and the architect of Lee House, assumes a very conceptual approach to architecture – evident in the house he has crafted. “What we have tried to do is seek aspects of perfection in form that enable us to encourage something in the human condition which isn’t able to be seen, but is perhaps only able to be felt,” reflects Angelo.
Here, the architect redesigns a 200 year old home in Sydney’s Watsons Bay. The front façade appears as a humble, one-storey traditional cottage that sits in contrast to the two-storey, modern, geometric façade at the rear. The way the architect redesigns a 200 year old home was a step away from the client’s original brief – removing the existing cottage and creating a large home. After many discussions, the client developed a modesty about their brief. “It meant we could work with an incredibly quiet house… something that is purely an interior design,” says Angelo.
The architect redesigns a 200 year old home with a material palette that is simultaneously robust, raw and refined. Timber flooring and ceilings make the space feel spacious yet cosy and is also used in the kitchen for joinery, the dining table and the base of the island bench. This is complemented by the heavy use of concrete for walls, stairs and detailing, softened by round curves. Styling is dominated by minimalist furniture and neutral tones. The effect is a layered home that combines organic moments such as the soft curves of the concrete and circular skylight with the geometric nature of the timber flooring, sharp stairs and rectilinear furniture.
When reflecting on the use of curved concrete, Angelo comments on the way materials can evoke something deeper than their physicality. “Through the softness of the concrete and how light might be absorbed in it, one may imagine that beyond the surface something denser or more real might exist in it.”
In this way, the architect redesigns a 200 year old home with a tangible sense of intimacy. A day bed offers a sense of private retreat, while the garden and courtyard imbue a similar mood, enriched with lush greenery, and a stone-paved alfresco dining area surrounded by the manicured garden.
The architect redesigns a 200 year old home in a way that honours yet rejuvenates a beautiful house – offering a deep reflection on heritage, balance, intimacy and the power of materials.
00:00 – Introduction to the 200 Year Old Home
01:02 – The Original Concept
02:13 – Seeking Perfection Through Form
03:00 – Behind The Material Palette
04:30 – The Relationship Between Builder and Architect
05:26 – Experiencing the Intimacy of the Home
06:50 – Favourite Aspects
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Photography by Rory Gardiner.
Architecture and Interior Design by Candalepas Associates.
Build by Jason Boyle Constructions.
Structural Engineering by R Balas Consulting.
Geotechnical Engineer by JK Group.
Styling by Holly Irvine.
Filmed by The Local Project.
Edited by Andre Hoo.
Production by The Local Project.
Location: Watsons Bay, New South Wales, Australia
The Local Project acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land in Australia. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our country and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.
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