Wilson Architects Office

Springhill, Queensland

In 1959, Wilson Architects purchased an old high set Queenslander in Brisbane’s run-down, inner-city fringe as the practice’s office. A significant fire in the building in 1981 required an almost complete rebuild. After an exhaustive search for alternate office space, it was decided that the centrality of the office was unique and that refurbishment was the best option. As the team expanded, additional area was required, which was found by expanding into the adjacent 1860s workers’ cottage separated from the original office by a 1.8m gap.

Clever use of space

In Queensland, the detached house creates an often almost unusable space on its side boundaries. The practice wanted to shift from the existing strong association with the residence and play with the idea of developing a distinct entrance. An organising element was added around this often-neglected interstitial space between the two existing buildings. 

The newly inserted space attends to the long-standing problem of having a formal front door on a lower level and an isolated upper-level rear door, which was used by staff, consultants and familiar clients. The spatial experience democratises the entries whilst giving clear direction to visitors.

Keeping history intact

The charred remains of the burned timber frame were revealed and celebrated as a direct connection back to the practice’s 1981 fire. The original brick chimney of the cottage, which once supported a corrugated kitchen lean-to, stands now as an isolated sentinel. New openings in the friable brick and mortar of the adjacent 1864 workers’ cottage were left unpainted and raw to articulate where the fabric was modified.

Completed

2009

Key Personnel

Hamilton Wilson, 
Nick Lorenz

Awards

2011 IDEA Awards Winner Commercial under 1,000m2

2011 AIA QLD State Awards - Hayes & Scott Award for Small Project Architecture 

2011 AIA Brisbane Regional Awards - Small Project Architecture Commendation 

2011 Australian Interior Design Awards - Award for Corporate Design

2011 Interior Design Awards - Best in State for Commercial Design