Plus Minus Design was established in 2007.
The focus of the practice is building design. We are not interested in specialising in particular building types, rather we’ve found that thinking through ideas at one scale can productively inform work at another. Projects to date have varied from garage lofts through to high-rise, tower developments and this range of scale and type reflects our breadth of design interest and experience.
Urban design, landscape design and interior design are subjects that are happy distractions. While we have skills in these areas, we understand the limits of our expertise and gladly propose and welcome collaborations with other design and construction professionals when appropriate.
We decided to call the practice Plus Minus Design for a whole bunch of reasons. Wikipedia, at times, defines plus-minus as “the precision of an approximation” and we like the sound of that. We like thinking about approximation and tolerance in building. Some times things need to be precise or luxurious, other times it is not so important. Our first priority and objective for each project is to find an appropriate response.
Phillip lectures frequently and has taught architectural design, history and interior design at the University of New South Wales, the University of Technology in Sydney and Western Sydney University. He is an Adjunct Professor at Western Sydney University.
Phillip is a registered architect in NSW (NSW ARB 10101) and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects.
20 Arthur Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Sydney, Australia
From unremarkable beginnings in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs, House RV has been reimagined to create a retreat from the city, distinguished by its close and private relationship to the garden and two majestic fig trees.
A key problem with the original property was that the garden was dominated by a steep driveway – rising five meters above the street to the garage – that effectively rendered the garden unusable. Internally, the house had undergone several ill-considered renovations, rendering the internal plan quite haphazard (although the underlying structure was mostly in good condition).
The aim was to reorganise the front yard to create a tranquil garden and to make gentle yet practical modifications to the house’s layout. These modest structural changes greatly improve the plan and strengthen the relationship between the home and the garden.
Externally, the garage was relocated to street level and a garden extended across its roof. A retaining wall was built along the outside edge of the former driveway. This now provides a private garden podium above the street at the level of the house. The former garage has been transformed into a covered outdoor space opening to the pool. The existing landscape was enhanced and soft landscaping in the front yard increased by more than 260% to provide new amenity and improve the streetscape.
Internally, the approach was to make as few changes as possible to the existing structure. The main living spaces were relocated to the upper level where the relationship to the tree canopy is strongest and now open out to a small garden at the rear. The roof over the living room was raised and a floating wall dropped from a skylight shaft to divide and provide scale to the living room.
This approach – combined with modest finishes and detailing – kept the sqm rate well below market rates for building work in Sydney’s Eastern suburbs. As well as having cost benefits, careful and modest structural interventions ensured that energy embodied in the original structure was not needlessly transferred to landfill. We believe that doing less is as much a design choice as an environmental choice and a response to budget.
The house has been completely transformed and the plan entirely reorganised to create new relationships to orientation, the garden and the view of Sydney Harbour beyond.
Architect, Plus Minus Design
Builder, Sydcon Building Services
Structural Engineer, Cantilever
Hydraulic Engineer, Liquid Hydraulics
Landscape Design, Plus Minus Design with Villata Landscapes
Quantity Surveyor, Coutts Cost Consulting
