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Creatives at Home: Two Architects in Their Backyard Office
Heidi Seemann and Peter Rush custom built a backyard office in which they could draft and create models of beautiful homes
In our new series, we get to know some of Australia’s talented creatives and the innovative spaces that allow them to let their imaginations run wild
Some people are lucky enough to work in jobs where they can exercise their creativity – Heidi Seemann and Peter Rush are two such individuals. The couple are architects living and designing in Sydney, and can regularly be found in their custom-designed backyard office where they work full time drafting and creating models of beautiful homes. Featured in our recent story that celebrated architects around the world and their creative home offices, this creative space is a secluded spot to work, with the added comfort of being only a few steps away from home.
Creative Space at a Glance
Name: Heidi Seemann and Peter Rush of Seemann Rush Architects
Age: 50 and 51
Occupation: Architects
Location: Marrickville, NSW
What’s made here: This is where a couple designs residential homes
Some people are lucky enough to work in jobs where they can exercise their creativity – Heidi Seemann and Peter Rush are two such individuals. The couple are architects living and designing in Sydney, and can regularly be found in their custom-designed backyard office where they work full time drafting and creating models of beautiful homes. Featured in our recent story that celebrated architects around the world and their creative home offices, this creative space is a secluded spot to work, with the added comfort of being only a few steps away from home.
Creative Space at a Glance
Name: Heidi Seemann and Peter Rush of Seemann Rush Architects
Age: 50 and 51
Occupation: Architects
Location: Marrickville, NSW
What’s made here: This is where a couple designs residential homes
The office is just under 15 square metres and accommodates the two creatives comfortably.
The structure is a reflection of their design style and body of work – timber and colour motifs abound. “Our own brief was that the space had to be hard wearing and not precious; hence the concrete flooring and unpolished finishes,” says Seemann. “We always play around with colours. We established the orange and pink colour scheme 15 years ago in the main house, and we still love it! Yellow is our new addition!”
Seemann’s favourite piece of furniture is the white lamp on her desk that she restored when she was a teenager. It now serves as a reminder of how styles are constantly recycled.
The structure is a reflection of their design style and body of work – timber and colour motifs abound. “Our own brief was that the space had to be hard wearing and not precious; hence the concrete flooring and unpolished finishes,” says Seemann. “We always play around with colours. We established the orange and pink colour scheme 15 years ago in the main house, and we still love it! Yellow is our new addition!”
Seemann’s favourite piece of furniture is the white lamp on her desk that she restored when she was a teenager. It now serves as a reminder of how styles are constantly recycled.
The duo design residential buildings across Sydney and their backyard office space is where their creativity comes to life. Drawing plans, building models and liaising with clients is a day-to-day activity for them.
The couple start their work day by 8am, and take a short walk to the kitchen in the main home for lunch, before heading back to the office. “I love the fact that I can wave to my son when he comes back from school in the afternoon without the need to interrupt my work,” says Seemann.
The couple start their work day by 8am, and take a short walk to the kitchen in the main home for lunch, before heading back to the office. “I love the fact that I can wave to my son when he comes back from school in the afternoon without the need to interrupt my work,” says Seemann.
Due to its compact size, Seemann utilises every space possible to store their never-ending design work. Take this handy built-in plywood shelving that houses the couple’s collection of architecture books, models and previous designs, for example.
Another innovative storage feature can be seen here. Rush built these hollow stairs to store more books and folders.
“We have two separate desks that allow us to work independently. One of us gets the beautiful outlook into the garden,” says Seemann who also notes that this is her favourite feature of the space. “We frequently watch lorikeets from here feed on the banksia in the courtyard that separates the studio from the house.”
Seemann and Rush were determined to make the space environmentally friendly. “We have an exterior blind for thermal protection and also to help with light reflection,” says Seemann. When the couple need fresh air, they open the solid timber panels.
It’s not only in the office that the couple are aware of their environmental footprint; they also like to keep car use to a minimum by riding their bikes to meetings and site visits. “Not commuting to an office is a bonus for us and for the environment,” says Seemann.
It’s not only in the office that the couple are aware of their environmental footprint; they also like to keep car use to a minimum by riding their bikes to meetings and site visits. “Not commuting to an office is a bonus for us and for the environment,” says Seemann.
A busy architect always needs a fully stocked drawer of pencils and other drawing tools. Rush has kept this pencil sharpener from his days as a university student. He uses it daily to draw his plans.
Much of Seemann and Rush’s work is inspired by travel and exploring new cities. “We always look at architecture, historic and modern, wherever we go,” says Seemann. “Inspiration comes from urban and rural settings. It could be a hay barn in Austria, the sheep shearing shed in rural NSW as well as the historic buildings and streets in Italy or Melbourne.”
The couple often host meetings in the main home, but will also have client consultations in their backyard office. “We have extra stools for clients and we just make it work space wise. If the weather’s good, we sometimes use the courtyard as well,” she adds.
Being an architect is labour intensive – there are often long hours and weekend work involved. While this can be tiring, Seemann and Rush are flexible and can take time off if need be, or make up for time lost by working longer hours.
For many of us, being productive in a home environment can be a challenge, especially when there are endless distractions. For Seemann and Rush, however, the biggest struggle is knowing when to put their pencils down. “It’s about making sure you don’t work when you really should sit down to talk to your kids … or even clean the house!” says Seeman.
TELL US
What do you think of Seemann and Rush’s backyard office? Let us know in the Comments.
MORE
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TELL US
What do you think of Seemann and Rush’s backyard office? Let us know in the Comments.
MORE
Reinventing the ‘Bungalow Out the Back’
Should You Get a Backyard Room?
How to Nurture Your Creative Side at Home
For their architectural practice, the couple took on the challenge of building a shared working space in their backyard. The decision was made when the lease of their inner-city warehouse workspace came to an end. With two teenage boys in tow, Seemann and Rush wanted to ensure their workspace was close to home. The office build commenced in 2013 and took two months to complete.