A Landscape Designer’s Urban Oasis

As a post-war house, the home now has a semi-detached facade with the original front room being retained during the renovations. While respecting the existing material palette and benefit of brick, the design incorporates not only brick but contemporary concrete, glass, steel and metal mesh throughout the home, helping to facilitate natural light and ventilation. 

Despite using a more contemporary palette, brick remains the hero of this home. Focusing on the indoors, white reclaimed brick brings both texture and a screen which looks out to the garden, showcasing the beauty of lush green trees and terracotta brick feature walls. Leading from indoors to the out, the terracotta brickwork at the boundary of the residence boasts beautiful landscape moments to the adjacent laneway. 

Andrew Burges, Director and lead Architect of Andrew Burges Architects, says that the intention behind Bismarck House was to preserve the surrounding landscape. 

“Bismarck House embraces the public realm by orchestrating the potential for social engagement between the more public areas of the house and the laneway that runs along the semi- northern boundary,” says Burges. 

Designed for the modern family that wants to minimise clutter, and prioritise wide open spaces this urban oasis focuses on creating a flexible house that is suited to both a city home or a family holiday rental. 

As an evolving space, the Bondi residence is designed with Sydney summer living in mind and is focused upon creating a blur between the indoors and the out.  

Using a minimalist and natural material palette, the common wall between the laneway and the home is built with recycled brick from the existing site. While, landscaping was designed to be visible around key rooms within the house such as the kitchen, structural concrete walls and a window seat to the lane. 

Bismarck House sees Andrew Burges Architects interpret and create a series of inviting spaces within the home that speak to the owner’s core values and passion for landscape architecture by responding to the cultural and physical characteristics of the Bondi setting. 

“Bismarck House embraces the public realm by orchestrating the potential for social engagement between the more public areas of the house and the laneway that runs along the semi’s northern boundary.”

“Bismarck House embraces the public realm by orchestrating the potential for social engagement between the more public areas of the house and the laneway that runs along the semi’s northern boundary.”

Located on the eastern coastline of Sydney, Bismarck House is a welcome addition to the beachside suburb of Bondi, boasting beautiful landscape design and modern urban living. 

The home belongs to landscape designer William Dangar and his wife Julia Dangar who recently purchased the home after discovering the property through their business partner, Bill Clifton.  

After purchasing their home last year, the couple has been renovating and have since created a calming, industrial design aesthetic. Characterised by raw materials from whitewashed reclaimed brick to timber furnishings and steel light fixtures. 

With creative landscaping at the core of all William’s work, it was clear the garden was a top priority and a key design element in driving the renovation process. With this in mind, landscape designers, Dangar Barin Smith use the garden to offset harsh industrial materials of the home, by incorporating large palm trees and a mixture of succulents and cacti.