WOBURN

A house that fits in, Wembley

The interwar bungalows which characterise this suburb have plenty of charm but lack space and light. The house had already been renovated but still wasn’t particularly functional and had lost some of its character in the process which raises the question; how to modernise without losing the very thing which makes the place feel like home.

Easy enough to think of examples where designers have got it wrong: the unsympathetic modernist box bolted onto the back, or the clumsy attempt to replicate the original (nothing worse than this.)

We’re very excited about this design which is both modern and fits in.

Planning application approved, Winter 2024.

A very special beach shack, Yanchep, WA

Fibro Shacks doted WA’s coastline all the way up till the 80’s when the Crown reclaimed all our ocean-front sites, but an extremely rare couple of exceptions were made; this site being one of them. Rather than plonk a great big mansion in the middle of the site, we’ve designed a modest little building with two even smaller outbuildings; thus keeping the scale down and the amenity up. This is our tribute to the Fibro Shack, surely Australia’s most charming vernacular architectural type. Design inspiration is also taken from Nantucket’s Salt Box shacks (see Mood Board.) A very fun fusion of architectural influences!

Construction commenced mid 2023, completion slated for Christmas 2024.

A new residence in glass and steel, Peppermint Grove, WA

The design of this house contrasts an ultra-modern material palette of glass and steel with classical design principles of symmetry, scale, an entablature supported by columns, and a raised main floor. Mid-century modern architecture buffs will recognise the influence of Mies van der Rohe and Phillip Johnson.

Practical completion: Nov 2021. Builder: AT Brine & Sons. Structural: Fulcrum. BCA: Taycon. Landscape: Jo Taylor

New works to an heritage listed cottage in Perth, WA

Alongside new builds, we also do a lot of heritage work. We have led heritage projects for the Shire of Peppermint Grove, the Anglican Diocese of Perth and for many private owners of heritage registered properties. We are listed on the State Government’s Heritage Professionals directory.

The cottage pictured below had run afoul of heritage controls and was before the State Administrative Tribunal before we were engaged; we produced a design that was fresh, fun and a little bit playful while celebrating and conserving the heritage values of the place.

Proposed addition to a Federation Bungalow in Mt Lawley, WA

The Mt Lawley protection area has famously tight heritage planning guidelines. Far from daunting us however, we found these guidelines to be a great opportunity to show off our expertise in heritage-sensitive, traditional design.

Our design has been granted planning approval and a building permit with practical completion slated for end of 2022.

Restoration works to a federation cottage in Subiaco, WA

The before-and-after photos say it all!

It was really rewarding restoring this cottage back to it’s original character. We removed the ugly 60’s additions and reinstated original features as well as a couple of helpful new additions that harmonise with the character.

Cape Cod in Mosman Park

Concept design for a new house, with inspiration drawn from the fishing villages of Cape Cod, MA. The brief called for modern, open plan living downstairs and bedrooms upstairs with authentic detailing throughout.

This popular style of architecture is rarely reproduced authentically in Perth; we’re really excited about this opportunity to show how great it can be when done right.

Proposed addition to a family home in Subiaco, WA

During their extensive travels, our clients fell in love with the shingle style cottages of America's North East. They commissioned Woburn to design an addition as well as the enlargement and renovation of their existing Federation cottage.

A glazed hyphen connecting two existing buildings in York, WA

The brief for this project was to connect a heritage listed 1850s cottage to a large hall at the rear. The palette of steel, glass and marble was influenced by early modernist bauhaus and art deco. This project has been granted planning approval. We are currently searching for a suitable building contractor.

Oceanside house in Palm Beach, Florida

The clients wanted to maximise their beachfront views while referencing the traditional beach-side architecture of America's East Coast. To meet this brief, we integrated a mechanised system which sees the entire glass front disappear into hidden pockets at the push of a button. These completely uninterrupted views of the Atlantic are complimented by wood siding and a wood shingle roof that features eyebrow dormer windows -all typical of the local architectural heritage.

While employed at Robert AM Stern Architects, Seymour contributed to this project.

House in Greenwich, Connecticut

We gave a tired old cottage a complete overhaul here; adding lots of space, reconfiguring the plans to be more functional and updating all finishes. It now performs like a completely new house, yet retains the shingle-style character which the clients love.

While employed at Robert Couturier Inc, Seymour contributed to this project.

Duplex apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side

Apartments in Manhattan's iconic Upper West Side building, The Majestic, don't come up for sale every day. So when two apartments directly above the client's own came on the market, they didn't let the opportunity get away! We performed a classic gut renovation: a Beaux Arts aesthetic with 21st century functionality.

While employed at Robert Couturier Inc, Seymour contributed to this project.