James Street

As the first Launceston project by Taylor and Hinds Architects, this dark-brick townhouse required exceptional craftsmanship, with deep attention to its tight plot and rich urban context. Home to two doctors, the brief was to create a new addition to James Street that visually embraced the cityscape while creating a secluded and private realm for the pair to retreat from the business of everyday life.

A patchwork of 1830s cottages, grand Victorian and Federation homes and contemporary builds, Launceston retains a distinctive architectural fabric. James Street in particular begins with quaint colonial abodes at its base, ascending chronologically to feature modern homes at the top. Additionally, the city’s extensive history as a brick town was called into consideration when ideating the new home, resulting in the dark, metallic sensibilities of its material makeup.

Austral Bricks Metallix in Graphite Flash spans across the townhouse, its inky palette flecked with misty hues like swirling storm clouds. The bold exterior gestures to the nearby Princes Square, one of Launceston’s earliest brickfields, and the material source of much of the surrounding architecture. Inside, the floor continues to reference the area’s rich heritage, with Bowral Bricks Hamlet in Bowral Blue creating a contemporary foundation for the timber, leather, marble and glass that encompass James Street’s material scheme.

Embracing the restrictive nature of the site – furthered by the decision to retain a century-old walnut tree at the property’s rear – James Street plays with volume and form throughout its interiors. Taking advantage of vertical space, the home features three stories that push out to the plot’s perimeter at street level. Above the ground-floor garage and bedroom, a ‘doing room’ subverts the traditional notions of residential architecture to include a laundry, living and guest space all in one. Across the second floor, a generous kitchen extends from a balcony out front to the branches of the walnut tree at the back of the property, crossing the living and music rooms that give way to scenic views of Kanamaluka, River Tamar.

Connecting the entryway to the rest of the soaring home, a winding stairway leads visitors upwards to the vast communal spaces. A literal dialogue between the requested access to both views and privacy is seen in the alternating clouded and transparent windows along the pathway, immediately addressing the brief with surprise and intrigue.

Manipulating the confines of a small city site, James Street echoes the historic fusion of its slanted streetscape. Taylor and Hinds Architects conceals a resourceful layout in a bold brick façade that makes a statement within the multifarious design that defines Launceston.