
Quick Facts
Location: Five Dock NSW
Structural Engineer: Randall Jones & Associates
Builder: Paul R Cigana
Architect: Neeson Murcutt Architects
Bricklayer: Spartacon Brick and Blocklaying
Photographer: Brett Boardman
Award Winner Blends Style & Function
While obviously a contemporary design, this award-winning house sits comfortably in a Sydney streetscape that ranges from Californian bungalows to more recent rendered ‘mansions’.
For Rachel Neeson of Neeson Murcutt Architects, the long, narrow site “was an opportunity to test the basic assumptions of a suburban bungalow.” The material selection and construction methods are conventional, the critical differences being in site interpretation and design execution.

The external walls are constructed in cavity brickwork using Austral Bricks™ Bowral® Blue dry-pressed bricks. “We know that a double-brick wall has good thermal performance, that’s a generally well understood fact,” says Ms Neeson. Single-thickness brick partition walls reduce sound transmission between rooms and add to the thermal mass.
“We think dry-pressed bricks have a far superior appearance,” says Nick Murcutt. The architects also chose face brickwork for its durability and low maintenance needs.
The Five Dock House won the AIA (NSW) Wilkinson Award for Residential Architecture.
Featured Products
BOWRAL DRY PRESSED
The crisp edges and deep, earthy colours of Bowral dry-pressed bricks blend style and function to present a clean, modern aesthetic. These premium quality bricks are available across Australia in standard 76 mm thickness and in a slim 50 mm format.
Colour: Bowral Blue
