Laneway Glass House / Architect Brad Swartz + Henry Wilson

The Palladian floor plan inverts the traditional terrace/house model, with the studio located on the ground floor, the bedrooms and bathrooms above, and the living area, kitchen and outdoor terrace upstairs, maximizing light, privacy and views. The rooms are separate but connected, each with a view of something beyond. The efficient interior floor plan has only four square meters of dedicated circulation space, thanks to a spiral staircase (in concrete and steel) and an internal corridor to the master bedroom.

Fortifying the entire western elevation (aisle) is a stunning wall of glass that anchors the building and softly diffuses light throughout all three levels. Off the main living area is a sun terrace offering an eclectic view of the neighborhood. “What the building lacks in width, it makes up for in spatial size and quality of lighting,” says architect Brad Schwartz. His practice is known for unleashing hidden potential in even the narrowest of locations.

“The spiral staircase has opened up the en-suite bathroom but means that at every point in the entire house, you can see the full width of the interior (4.7 metres). Each level has ceilings well above regulatory height, giving a sense of grandeur that you would expect to see in larger, older terrace houses.” Size: Brad Swartz, Architect.

The result, Schwartz says, is a well-executed urban density scheme in the suburbs on the city’s fringes, reusing an existing infill site to add housing. Aside from judicious use of site planning regulations (not maximizing the permitted floor area), the trick, Swartz says, is to “scrutinize every aspect of the plan, construction methods, and materials, without taking anything for granted.” .

Wilson requested that the house express his minimalist design aesthetic and basic material palette. Through close collaboration, Swartz and Wilson found ways to use cost-effective materials in unique ways to elevate finishes.

The structural concrete floor slab on the ground floor has been polished to a beautiful, durable finish. In the house above, standard limestone tiles were laid without grout lines to create the effect of large, luxurious slabs. For the glass wall, standard glass blocks (sandblasted on the inner face) were chosen rather than expensive custom versions.