How This Minimalist "Basement" Apartment Captures City Views
Below street level on a busy Potts Point road sits an apartment that is not what you would expect, with a minimalist light-filled interior and views over Sydney's CBD. Brad Swartz Architects' biggest challenge was bringing light in, while maintaining a functional 49sqm one-bedroom apartment that did not feel small.
Originally built circa 1890, renovations in the 80s saw the basement apartment divided into tiny little rooms. The brief for the design was to reimagine the small apartment as a more luxurious and spacious one-bedroom. In addition, the owners wanted the flexibility where it could function as a long-term residence or be used for short-term rental.
Walking down two flights of stairs below street level, you enter a partially enclosed hallway with a sizeable bedroom to the right. Step further into the apartment, and you are drawn into the light-filled living space with the amazing view over Sydney. The kitchen is opened onto the living space, designed as a piece of minimalist furniture that doesn't dominate the apartment. Beyond the kitchen is a service area with storage, appliances, a fridge, with a luxurious bathroom with a free-standing bath at the end.
Brad Swartz Architects took a reductive approach to the apartment's planning and material palette, opting for a minimalist interior. Light marble, oak flooring, furniture, and white paint creates a light and bright interior that brings a sense of calm to the space. Brad Swartz also chose materials that were sustainable, having longevity which means they won't need to be replaced anytime soon.
A small footprint is one of our cities' most sustainable ways to grow and develop. Upfront embodied energy, cost and waste, as well as ongoing running cost and energy usage, is far lower when you build less. "If you're building far less, that can have a really significant impact," as Brad Swartz mentions. Small footprint living needs to prioritise light-filled interiors that bring a sense of calm and joy, not densifying to the detriment of experience.
Designed by Brad Swartz Architects.
Videography and editing, photography and words by Anthony Richardson.
You Might Want to Watch
