James Russell's Brookes Street House is for sale. See the photo gallery.
The Brookes Street House, nestled between two 19th century state heritage-listed buildings in Fortitude Valley, is a modern, raw, treehouse-like home, open to the elements in sub-tropical Queensland. It is able to be battened down and has a unique residential and/or commercial zoning. See the photo gallery.
In creating this architecturally unique, almost sculpture like home - the Architect, James Russell, set out to create a secure and green inner sanctum in the central Brisbane precinct.
This stunning residence which has featured in Vogue, Inside, Monument and Architecture Review, is a tall narrow structure grafted to the side of the church.
With double height glass facades facing the street, it recedes into the shadows of its neighbouring buildings allowing it to be set-back enough from the street front to give the owners the privacy to enjoy the tranquillity that James has thoughtfully mastered in this design.
With an expected selling price between $1.8 & $2.3million, this is a must see propertyIn the planning of the Brookes Street residence James has also allowed for a small commercial space tucked neatly under the house which opens onto a large landscaped forecourt.
The entrance to the property is subtle: barely noticeable from busy Brookes Street. Once through the threshold, one enters a private and secure world; stairs lead straight up into the heart of the home a central, open courtyard of green grass bathed in sunlight.
Brookes Street House wraps around three sides of the courtyard space, with the church wall and stained glass windows forming the fourth wall. Living spaces sit on either side of the courtyard one a less formal play room and the other with the kitchen and grown-up lounge.
Above the living areas are the sleeping areas - the children’s above the playroom, and the parents suspended over the kitchen and lounge. A narrow bridge connects the two bedroom wings and overlooks the grass. Bathrooms and the laundry are concealed in cupboards running along the side of the bridge.
Walls of glass slide away completely at the edges of the living spaces, creating a fluid connection between the grassed and roofed areas.
Upper level windows are push-out timber flaps, which also act as eaves for sun and rain protection.
Raw industrial materials of concrete and steel make up the shell of the building. These materials are enriched by the refined timber joinery of the interior.
The home uses the richness of natural materials and light as well as the thoughtful and unique planning that has allowed this home to be not only a warm inviting sanctuary but a liveable sculpture.
Winning the Robin Dods award for residential buildings in 2006 and commendation in the 2006 Interior Design Awards for Excellence, the Brookes Street Residence is a home that will delight and excite buyers looking for a property that isn’t the typical space, which has character, light, shade, warmth and depth; a property which is more than meets the eye, that is unique and incomparable to any other.
The Brookes street residence will appeal to a special kind of buyer, a buyer looking for a home rather than a house, a buyer looking for a creative space in which to run a business rather than an office, a buyer who is drawn to light and open living with an appreciation of natural materials in their raw state.
This is a magnificent property and is something that needs to be seen, felt and experienced to understand what a unique piece of design it truly is.
- 2006 RAIA Robin Dods Award for Residential Architecture-Houses
- 2007 RAIA State Awards (Queensland)
- 2006 Commendation - National RAIA Award for Residential Architecture
- See the photo gallery
