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
The objective was to do as little as possible and as much as necessary. The existing fitout was a café bakery designed by Meacham Knockles McQualter and was lovely. We agreed that a good fit out should not go into landfill simply for the sake of novelty. We re-used as much as possible and simply tweaked the space to suit new requirements. A fine steel bar was added to the existing counter, the kitchen was screened, acoustic treatment was installed, existing lighting was supplemented and furniture from the clients’ previous restaurant was re-used.
A new colour scheme was specified with Lymesmith. Colours were inspired by Korean Dancheong painting tradition. These blue-green colours highlight brass, copper, zinc and timber finishes that were part of the original fitout and provide a strong identity to the restaurant.
A dramatic transformation was achieved with small gestures.
Interior Design, Plus Minus Design
Colour Design, Lymesmith
Acoustic Consultant, Sebastian Giglio
Structural Advice, SDA Structures
