AS YOU WALK INTO THE HOUSE THE RECYCLED BRICKS RETURN IN THE LOUNGE ROOM recycled bricks for aesthetic appeal Faced with the familiar problem of outgrowing stage through design and council approvals to their home, one Adelaide family weighed construction and completion. up their options. The location, suburban The firm has been operating since 2008, and its Glengowrie, was ideal: only a few kilometres directors – James Doyle, Eddie Kwiecien and Ryan from the beaches of Glenelg and just 12 kilometres de Visser – have combined experience of some south-west of the city centre. The problem lay 50 years in construction. in the small and oddly-shaped residential block, ‘The best part of our job is being able to limiting the scope of a new construction. But, most share the journey with our clients as their ideas of all, the family wanted a fresh approach to design materialise,’ Ryan says. and development. ‘The clients for this project wanted us to create Adelaide-based construction company Creative a comfortable family home that pushed the Structures took up the challenge. It used the boundaries in terms of design and style,’ he says. shape of the block to advantage and incorporated ‘So we designed two townhouses on the same a variety of materials to create an original and block: both with three bedrooms and double garages interesting design. The result is an ultra-modern and both planned very much with families in mind. pair of semi-detached duplexes, with a dramatic ‘The block has a very wide frontage with both overhanging upper section at the front of each, and sides angled back towards the rear. So we using recycled bricks for further effect. designed it to create more room at the front by From the street, the build makes a bold moving the entry door down the side. Then, as the statement and, inside, it exhibits meticulous house goes back, it follows the shape of the block attention to detail. This careful attention, along with thus creating as much usable space as possible.’ clever design solutions and interesting material The award judges were especially impressed selections paid off, as one of the townhouses took by the use of recycled bricks in the project, both out the 2018 HIA Australian Townhouse/Villa of the internally and externally, which wrap around the year at the national awards in May. entry façade of each townhouse and entice the Creative Structures specialises in visitor inside. custom homes and residential ‘They were from an old house in the Adelaide developments, providing Hills,’ Ryan says. a personalised service ‘It was our first experience with recycled bricks to each client at all and, since then, we’ve used them for more of our stages of the building clients. It wasn’t driven by cost but by aesthetic process. They appeal, one of a number of different materials to work one-on-one bring the project to life. We wanted to build the with the client, house around this: as you walk into the house the from the concept recycled bricks return in the lounge room.’ ‘THE BEST PART OF OUR JOB IS BEING ABLE TO SHARE THE JOURNEY WITH OUR CLIENTS AS THEIR IDEAS MATERIALISE’ SEPTEMBER 2018 HOUSING 23 PROJECTS