Architect: Tribe Studio Architects
Builder: SD Construct
Location: Mosman, NSW
Working alongside Tribe Studio Architects and builders SD Construct, Partridge delivered a complex structural upgrade to a home set above Balmoral Beach. The house unfolds over three levels, with the main living areas placed on the upper floor to capture southern harbour and district views. To the north, a series of sculpted highlight windows brings daylight deep into the plan across the day. Bedrooms and bathrooms sit on an elevated ground level, arranged around planted courtyards and a northern garden. More than 30,000 recycled bricks give the building a solid, grounded presence and a sense of calm against the intensity of Sydney’s beachside summers.
The most demanding aspect of the project was retaining existing masonry walls while excavating a new garage beneath. This required careful staging and temporary works. High-capacity steel needles were inserted through the masonry at set intervals, transferring the building’s loads to temporary footings so excavation could proceed safely below. Steel columns were cast into footing piles embedded into the bedrock in order to support the steel beams that provided permanent support to the walls. This approach minimised the risk of settlement or cracking in the retained fabric.
Introducing new floor slabs alongside the existing timber-framed floors also required close coordination. The concrete slabs were poured around the original timber structure, with detailing at junctions to manage the different movement characteristics of timber and concrete. The existing timber framing was selectively strengthened to meet current performance expectations, increasing capacity while preserving the character of the interior.
At the centre of the house, a curved concrete stair rises within a multi-storey brick wall. To stabilise this tall masonry element, concealed steelwork was integrated within the wall, providing lateral support to the adjacent floors without interrupting the brick surface. The same principle carried through to the roof, where curved ceilings and clerestory glazing limited the use of conventional framing. Welded steel trusses were integrated into the window frames, with mullions acting structurally. This kept the roof members slender and ensured the highlight windows remained visually clear, balancing structural performance with the architectural intent.
