The Corner Shop House responds to the layered character of an Inner West Sydney corner site, balancing retention and renewal. Originally built in the late nineteenth century and long used as a local shop, the dilapidated brick building was not heritage-listed but held social and streetscape value. Its original brick envelope and nine-metre parapet were retained and repaired, preserving street scale while enabling three new levels within existing commercial zoning.

With the exception of the perimeter walls, the structure was removed and rebuilt within the propped brick shell, allowing the new construction to stabilise the old. The project maintains the site’s mixed-use pattern, accommodating commercial space at ground level and a private residence above. A lower-level garage and bicycle storage are integrated beneath a rear courtyard, minimising excavation and maximising amenity on a compact footprint.

Spatially, the building unfolds vertically. The tenancy connects directly to the street and rear courtyard, while an off-form concrete stair leads to double-height living spaces oriented north for solar access and long views. Bedrooms sit adjacent to the tree canopy above. Curved concrete shading, a permeable masonry screen and clerestories and skylights modulate light and ventilation. A restrained palette of brick, spotted gum and terracotta-toned steel unifies the project, which is underpinned by passive design principles and material reuse.

Photography: Clinton Weaver