632 Bourke St has been transformed from a warren of boarding house rooms to a contemporary office and living space, now home to Smart Design Studio. Formerly two adjoining terraces with rear stables, the building occupies a prominent corner position in Surry Hills; its length faces due north and provides an important streetscape to the shared pedestrian roadway of Ridge St. Conceived as a contemporary steel and glass insertion within an existing masonry shell, the building consists of two levels of studios and a rooftop apartment. The building is an upfront and honest layering of old and new as expressed by the raw treatment of the exterior façade through to a smooth modern interior.
The existing shell of the building has been retained with new large vertical openings cut through to reveal glass louvres framed by deep stainless steel trims. A rigorous grid informed the design approach for the whole building from the steel structure to the tiling setout, workspaces and joinery and lighting, establishing a clear continuity throughout the building. Internally, full height storage bays are located between each window opening and a linear joinery unit conceals the kitchens, WC’s and extra storage which runs the length of the party wall on both floors.
The apartment is a continuation of the structural grid and detailing from below, however, the selection of finishes, use of lighting and the immediacy of the old building fabric sets this space apart from the working environment below. Natural limestone flooring extends seamlessly throughout, with polished terrazzo used in the ensuite and bathroom, also forming the vanity hob and Japanese style bath. The folded roof plane, which boldly cantilevers over the old building and forms a screen to the eastern terrace, is expressed from within through the natural anodized aluminium battened ceiling. Steel framing is exposed throughout, finished in charcoal micaceous iron oxide paint. Matt white polyurethane joinery panels clad the services pod, complementing the white Corian and stainless steel kitchen unit. Within this pod, an ensuite and bathroom are bounded by storage units, servicing the kitchen, living and bedrooms as well as housing the study unit and robes.
