Creative Prototype: Alexander House by Alexander &Co.

Jeremy Bull, Principal designer at Alexander &CO. will never be late for work again. Taking the best elements of working from home, the studio has designed Alexander House, an architectural residential showcase and a purpose-built live/work set up in the very next terrace adjoining his Bondi Junction home.

Described as “a home for working in” the project is a departure from the traditional office to a more artistic residential environment that can change and adapt to the evolving needs of their team and clients. The deeply personal space acts as an extension of home for Jeremy and his wife (and Alexander &Co’s Marketing director) Tess Glasson, while introducing a new framework of “work” into the discussion with their clients.

Related: Interview: Jeremy Bull of Alexander &CO.

The flexible, purpose-built co-working space allows the design studio to showcase their design work “in the flesh” while providing a working environment that is healthier, not to mention more enjoyable, for their team. The ideals of the stuffy, utilitarian, commercial office have been thrown out the window and replaced with this calming abode.

It’s as if each project beforehand led to this moment, with Alexander House embodying a culmination of the studio’s technical and creative skills. Feeling a little like a relic, the house is robust but beautifully detailed. Structures are exposed; concrete slabs, beams, ceilings and walls. Where possible harvested timber linings and reclaimed material were consciously used. Layered materials of stone, concrete and solid brass were selected to their ability to age gracefully, adding the gravitas of an old church.

The new interior gave the team a chance to flex its green credentials with a large part of the design focused on ecological and social sustainability. Acting as a prototype for environmental innovation, the building has a built-in end of life plan to re-use, compost or repurpose all materials and strives to reduce its carbon footprint with solar power and a Tesla Powerwall to manage the constraints of their usage.

Engaging and sharing with the wider community is also on the cards, with Tess having organised a series of cultural conversations around reconciliation with Susan Moylan-Coombs from The Gaimaragal Group and talks of a ‘moving gallery’.

A testing ground that isn’t limited to the luxury residential market Alexander &Co have challenged preconceptions of home, land, family and work to conceive a new vision of the workplace that is kind to clients, the planet, their team and themselves alike.

[Images courtesy of Alexander &Co. Editorial styling by Claire Delmar. Photography by Anson Smart.]