Architect: Anthony Gill Architecture
Builder: Robert Plumb Build
Location: North Bondi, NSW
Partridge is proud to have provided the structural engineering expertise behind this 2024 NSW Architecture Award-winning project. Situated on the sandy flat stretching from North Bondi Beach to Sydney Harbour at Rose Bay, this new four-bedroom family home replaces a modest bungalow. Set amidst a diverse mix of housing types in a relatively dense suburban neighbourhood, the design balanced privacy and openness, with courtyards, integrated gardens, and fiberglass screens ensuring natural light and ventilation while maintaining seclusion.

The project presented several unique structural challenges. A three metre high extruded double-skin brick wall retaining 1.6 metres of soil required precise detailing to ensure both structural integrity and aesthetic appeal. Steel reinforcement rods were discreetly embedded within the 20mm cavity to provide tension capacity, while the footing design avoided disturbing the existing stormwater system.

The soft sand foundation called for a suspended slab on piles spanning over a council asset. Custom concrete hobs of varying shapes supported the extruded brickwork and were integrated into the waterproofing system, as the ground floor slab sat below natural ground level. To manage cracking, a thinner slab with optimised reinforcement was designed for the exposed concrete ceiling and floor.

Structural complexities included tensile balustrades framing a sharply angled garden area, a lightweight plastic roof maintaining the modern “barn” aesthetic, and a false floor above the first-floor slab to conceal ductwork and services. These innovative solutions developed by our team ensured the structural integrity and functionality of the home without compromising the architectural design, and keeping the structure as thin as much as possible.
