The architectural team at Nielsen Jenkins chose bricks from PGH Bricks & Pavers to ensure a seamless design flow throughout the Wooloowin House during its renovation.
Situated on a very steep, west-facing site with distant views of the Samford Valley, Wooloowin House is owned by restaurateurs; therefore, the design needed to focus on robust and memorable entertaining spaces.
While the building envelope was retained, new internal components were added. This meant a material needed to be specified that could enable a beautifully continuous flow from the internal components to the private poolside courtyard. By specifying the elegant Black and Tan bricks from PGH Bricks & Pavers’ Smooth range, the Nielsen Jenkins team was able to achieve a subtractive consistency that only brick could provide.
Keeping budgetary restrictions and spatial efficiency in mind, the team needed to work largely within the footprint and structure of the existing home and pool shell; the design, therefore, required construction techniques and building systems that could absorb and resolve the inconsistencies of the old building, while creating a design solution that was unique to the site.
The design team at Nielsen Jenkins led by Lachlan Nielsen and Morgan Jenkins specified Black and Tan bricks to overcome this challenge. Featuring a timeless smooth face texture, the bricks blended beautifully with the natural Australian colours presented by the distant view of the Samford Valley and the ferocity of the summer sun.
“We have used them before and love their timelessness,” said Jenkins. “There is a good amount of variation in them, which leads to a richly textured surface that changes depending on the time of day and season.”
The existing home had a poorly renovated lower floor that spilled out onto a pool terrace, as well as serious structural problems caused by concrete pylons. Brick was the standout material choice to achieve the desired aesthetic without compromising on the home’s ability to provide durable, low-maintenance and resilient spaces of varying scale, outlook and orientation.
So that the family could enjoy the beautiful views from their poolside haven without being affected by the heat of the Queensland summer sun, Nielsen Jenkins integrated a strategy of considered subtraction at the rear of the building, which enabled a new series of spaces. These covered spaces can be used by the family as a retreat during periods of high heat, while the outdoor spaces can be utilised during the cooler hours. This allows the family to occupy different areas of the site at different times of the day, ensuring their comfort.
PGH Bricks & Pavers’ Black and Tan bricks have also been used indoors to introduce visual continuity from the interior of the home to the poolside entertaining space outdoors. The interior brickwork, with Black and Tan used on the flooring as well, creates a strong, clean aesthetic and brings a natural and minimalist, yet stunning and open feel to the existing Queenslander home.
“We wanted to use a material, which would allow continuity from the inside to out. The consistency of the material selection makes a series of quite small spaces feel very generous and connected.”
Nielsen Jenkins was supported by builders PJL Projects and Contractors, IRP Masonry and Graphic Ceramic during the Wooloowin House project. Designed and built as an exceptionally modern Queensland home, the choice of Black and Tan bricks from PGH Bricks & Pavers’ Smooth range helps maintain the Australian authenticity and heritage of the existing home and location.
