Armadale
‘With the Armadale Residence we are aiming for a Platinum level WELL rating. This is an indicator of the health of the building; it is about fresh air and the proximity to the trees and the park – it is also about the use of organic and low VOC paints and glues, indirect lighting, cross-ventilation , Low-e glass. It is the experiential aspect of architecture and we are paying more and more attention to it at RMA,’ Rob Mills
The original warehouse at Stuart Street, Armadale, has been a pivotal building for Rob Mills, as he connected profoundly with its expansive interior space. What was once was a cardboard factory on the edge of a tree-lined park, has been made habitable in broad sweeping gestures that play to the strengths of the cavernous interior.
As it is a personal project renovating the space has been challenging. “When you design for yourself there are no frames of reference. I was keen, however, to ensure there is enough light, that the materials push a strong design ethos and, moreover, that it becomes a family home as opposed to a bachelor pad”.
The building has been divided in a way that is functional and awe-inspiring. There is a self-contained two-bedroom apartment on the ground floor, which can be rented or used for extended family, while the main living area on the first floor – in the European tradition – has expansive ceiling heights of 3.4 metres.
There is a sense of luxe at play not only in the space but in the selection of materials, how they are used and interact.
The walls are render and velvety stucco, the floors are Fior di Pesco Carnico a grey/white veined marble with traces of brownie-red, while the tour de force of the brass kitchen evokes art rather than domesticity. The signature spiral staircase sits under glazing and the soft rendered wall surface allows the eye to glide, unimpeded to the sky above.
Door framed are deep and brass lined, while the cocooning winter room, influenced by Mills’ study of traditional English Manor houses, with its timber panels and recessed windows take on another character entirely.
The flourish of a restored grand piano is counterpoint to curated furniture pieces and objects, which bring a layered sense of character to the pared back shell.
The original warehouse at Stuart Street, Armadale, has been a pivotal building for Rob Mills, as he connected profoundly with its expansive interior space. What was once was a cardboard factory on the edge of a tree-lined park, has been made habitable in broad sweeping gestures that play to the strengths of the cavernous interior.
As it is a personal project renovating the space has been challenging. “When you design for yourself there are no frames of reference. I was keen, however, to ensure there is enough light, that the materials push a strong design ethos and, moreover, that it becomes a family home as opposed to a bachelor pad”.
The building has been divided in a way that is functional and awe-inspiring. There is a self-contained two-bedroom apartment on the ground floor, which can be rented or used for extended family, while the main living area on the first floor – in the European tradition – has expansive ceiling heights of 3.4 metres.
There is a sense of luxe at play not only in the space but in the selection of materials, how they are used and interact.
The walls are render and velvety stucco, the floors are Fior di Pesco Carnico a grey/white veined marble with traces of brownie-red, while the tour de force of the brass kitchen evokes art rather than domesticity. The signature spiral staircase sits under glazing and the soft rendered wall surface allows the eye to glide, unimpeded to the sky above.
Door framed are deep and brass lined, while the cocooning winter room, influenced by Mills’ study of traditional English Manor houses, with its timber panels and recessed windows take on another character entirely.
The flourish of a restored grand piano is counterpoint to curated furniture pieces and objects, which bring a layered sense of character to the pared back shell.
