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
Despite the rhetoric around the housing crisis, there are not enough projects at this scale and with this ambition. Well-meaning policy is kneecapped by complex bureaucracy, and rather than addressing the crisis at all levels of the market, most attempts at density are left to large developers on large sites. This project demonstrates what can be achieved at a granular level by those with more modest means.
Two large 4-bedroom houses with two separate studio apartments replace a higgledy-piggledy 3-4-bedroom house with poor amenity and a poor connection to a large North-facing yard. It increases bedroom density by over 250%.
The design exploits the peculiarities of Complying Development. Codes stipulate a ground floor no more than 1.3m above or 1m below ground level. On a site with a fall of 8.2m this results in stepped levels in each house and 24 different floor levels across the site. Whilst this adds to the complexity of the build, it also contributes to the architectural character of the project. Skillion roofs and the 8.5m height limit allow generous ceiling heights of over 4m with no habitable room ceilings below 3.2m. The “wedding-cake” form that is often the result of Complying Developments inspires the organisation of the plan with lower-level circulation on the outsides of the plan and upper-level circulation flanking the party wall. These are dramatic spaces which add amenity to the spaces they serve. All rooms except the ground floor powder rooms are naturally lit and ventilated.
The budget has been triaged to achieve maximum benefit, and to meet community and market expectations. Roofs are covered in solar panels, car-charging points and solar batteries are installed, bathrooms have in-floor heating, and all habitable rooms are air conditioned.
The houses are clad entirely in Klip-Lok 700 Hi-Strength steel. The ribs and ripples of the trays beautifully animate the facades as the sun moves. The ground floor stair risers are marble off-cuts from the kitchen bar-top, with the expressed top edge providing contrast and improving visibility. Handrails are simple sheets of painted MDF. Good proportions, a good layout and direct and judicious use of materials is valued over highly crafted finishes.
Whilst the site, close to a university and a hospital, should be of a much greater density, the project maximises development potential within current controls. It is also a good fit in its neighbourhood.
The project is a logical and pragmatic yet poetic response to an illogical planning regime, a difficult site and very real financial constraints.
This project demonstrates how a careful architectural approach can allow small scale developers and families to help address density and housing options.
Builder, Vivid Built
Architect, Plus Minus Design
Interior Designer, Sarah Johnson Studio
Landscape Architect, Melissa Wilson Landscape Architect
Structural Engineer, Partridge
Hydraulic Engineer, ACE Civil & Hydraulic Engineers
ESD Consultant, Ella Fairbairn
Traffic Consultant, TEF Consulting
