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6 Houzz Awards
3 Houzz Badges
Contact Info:
Charles Wright
44 Venice Road
Pretty Beach, New South Wales 2257
Australia
44 Venice Road
Pretty Beach, New South Wales 2257
Australia
Typical Job Costs:
$250,000 - $2.5 million
Category:
Professional Information:B.Arch University of Sydney
B Sci (Arch) University of Sydney
Award-Winning Building Designer Based in the Central Coast & Sydney
page_type: prop_plus_profile
Palaestra creates beautiful places. We bring our thoughtful design skills to create & enhance living spaces for life. We work to illuminate the physical, cultural and emotional context of each project.
Palaestra always incorporates sustainable design principals in our house plans such as low energy use, low embodied energy materials, low toxicity material usage and passive solar design. We particularly love timber and recycled timber.
Our work has been acknowledged through exhibition, awards, teaching and our client base of repeat business.
In addition to conventional building procurement we offer cost effective pathways to new homes or additions through our work with a range of prefabrication firms.
Our clients say: " Though we were still wandering around in amazement, most of the time, wondering how on earth we managed to find ourselves in such a beautiful, well-designed, warm, sunny and – damn it – cool house! It was quite a bizarre experience for a while, and I personally wasn't at all prepared for just how perfect this house was going to be for us to live in"
"The house is a dream...receiving a gazillion compliments. I have a never ending feeling of joy looking at it...the ambience is absolutely wonderful"
Services Provided
Building Design, Custom Home, Energy-Efficient Homes, Floor Plans, Home Additions, House Plans, Modular Home Additions, Sustainable Design, Architectural Design, Architectural Drawings, Green Building
Areas Served
Pretty Beach, Killcare, Hardys Bay, Mac Masters Beach, Somersby, Erina, Wamberal, Avoca Beach, Pearl Beach, Patonga, Palm Beach, Avalon, Sydney, North Shore, Peats Ridge, Dorrigo, Blackheath
Awards
RAIA Graduate design medal 1995 TAS young home designer of the year 1994 Best of Houzz 2014 to 2017
9 Projects for palaestra

Hawksbury River, NSW
Patonga Creek Holiday Home
9 photos

Pretty Beach, NSW
Pretty Beach Renovation
9 photos

Killcare, NSW
Bayside Residence
17 photos

Killcare, NSW
Killcare Holiday Retreat
6 photos

Pretty Beach, NSW
Como Forest Home
5 photos

Whale Beach, NSW
Whale Beach Lookout
4 photos

Blackheath, NSW
Blackheath 50s Revival Home
10 photos

North Curl Curl, NSW
Curl Curl Beachside Home
5 photos

Sketches & Renderings
9 photos
Write a Review
8 Reviews for palaestra
Relationship
Client
Project Date
Jul. 2017
Project Price
more than $100,000
Charles Wright of Palaestra Studio produced a comprehensive design, which retained elements of the original house for economy. The best thing is the new parts make the home cool in summer and warm in winter with views of the large surrounding garden and the farmland beyond. The new central hearth and recycled rosewood doors are a beautiful feature. The sunny outdoor terrace is great for entertaining. The bathroom and hallway were remodelled to be wheel chair friendly in case of future need.
As to be expected there were some construction challenges along the way but a very good relationship developed between the builder, Jeff Hughes and Charles. Jeff felt that Charles understood the difficulties he was encountering and was responsive in answering questions in a timely and practical way. Although Charles was 500km away, electronic transmission of photos and sketches allowed problems to be resolved quickly and efficiently. In my view it is very important for your architect and builder to get on well.
My new house is very liveable with bonuses in that its living area has excellent acoustics for small in-house concerts and is much admired. The architect of my former, much loved home, has declared it to be a “master piece”. Maybe that is a slight overstatement for a renovation, but I still love my new home.
November 20, 2017
Relationship
Client
Project Date
Mar. 2016
Project Price
more than $100,000
Charles delivered the spaces we really needed. We love our 50’s modernist home but it lacked connection to the garden. Charles’ thoughtful & simple moves added the outdoor spaces, a little extra living space & access to sun we really needed. We came in on budget yet still have a few great features that really lift the spaces from ordinary to excellent. It was great work, and we got back our view!
We recommend Palaestra to any of our family and friends who are considering a building project. We are also getting Charles back for stage 2, and that is the highest praise we can give!
May 4, 2017
Relationship
Client
Project Date
Apr. 2017
Project Price
n/a
Charles is an excellent designer to work with. We are delighted with the renovation he designed for our holiday house on the coast. Great use of light and space. Creative response to our brief, which was to transform a tiny house suitable for tiny kids into a shared space for adult kids and their partners. We had absolute confidence in Charles, and he delivered quality output.
May 2, 2017Last modified:August 20, 2019

Comment from palaestra:
Thanks Jill, it is always a pleasure working to make happy clients & good spaces.
May 2, 2017
Relationship
Client
Project Date
Jan. 2014
Project Price
more than $100,000
I would have to say your professionalism in how you have approached our job has been, for me, one of the best professional experiences I have encountered – especially the blend of pragmatic and creative energy you have brought, and being patiently consistent with the original brief of having us as clients heavily involved in the design process. It has proved laborious – but I think ultimately constructive – in finding solutions around the competing factors – council zoning, preserving the existing structure where possible on enviro/cost grounds, aesthetics – both between Sharnie and I and yourself, working respectfully with the surrounding garden, working through various functional permutations. For me, it has shown clearly how the elements within such a project all inter-relate.
January 26, 2014
Relationship
Client
Project Date
Sep. 2010
Project Price
$1,000 - $9,999
We would like to to enlarge and re-configure our living area at the back of our bungalow. Palaestra has prepared some sketches for us, which we are keen to get built when we can!
I have seen a lot of renovations that re-configure the back area of these 100 year old houses - where closed-in backs of houses are opened up. But I find that the vast box-like spaces that are usually created are pretty uninspiring.
The reason I would only ask Palaestra to re-design our back-room living spaces is because each of the three Palaestra-designed-houses that I have visited manage to accommodate a number of living spaces that are vastly more interesting, useful, cosy and just beautiful than the boxy ones that are the norm.
Spaces in Palaestra houses have our activities in mind - they respond to what we do in those spaces. And they seek light and air to our advantage.
Each space has it's own character and it's own special delight.
January 27, 2013
Relationship
Worked with pro
Project Date
Jun. 2004
Project Price
more than $100,000
In June 2004 Charlie Wright (architect) and myself, Ben Taylor (carpenter) worked together to redefine and extend an existing timber cottage on the edge of the Hawkesbury River, north of Sydney. From the start it was an engaging and rewarding experience. Charlie's sensitivity and understanding of landscape were evoked through his thoughtful use of recycled materials that included beautiful ancient iron bark columns and lovely old refinished window frames. Window apertures were placed sensitively to frame views of the secret life of the river. A wonderful gift of Charlie's was the ability to bring the 'dimension' of the river to the spaces constructed within. High ceilings and expansive rooms reproduced the scale of the landscape and gave an open quality to the spaces.
Throughout the construction process every care was taken to minimise waste and increase efficiency in production and use of materials. It was a pleasure and great fun to work with Charlie and I would highly recommend him to anyone considering him for their design.
December 3, 2012
Relationship
Client
Project Date
Jul. 2011
Project Price
more than $100,000
Charles designed the home we never knew we could have - it was better than we imagined in every way, and a year after completion continues to delight us with its efficiency, beauty and cleverness. Our very tight budget provided challenges that he more than rose to, and we have a beautiful and sustainable home to show for it. He was fabulous to deal with, accommodating and helpful. Highly recommended!
November 29, 2012
Relationship
Client
Project Date
Mar. 2011
Project Price
more than $100,000
We bought a total dump of a terrace which had serious structural and aesthetic issues. We hired Palaestra to help us reconfigure the building to make the most of the spaces, increase the light while keeping the cost low.
Palaestra solved the puzzle of using the space as well as possible. We have a truly brilliant new stair configuration. They designed really great rooms and had real sensitivity to our rather serious budget constraints. Unlike a number of the people we hired on the job, Palaestra really got that we couldn't afford the best or most beautiful finishes but always come up with a good looking alternative.
Palaestra always deliveredon time and responded to crises.
November 29, 2012
Commented: How tall are the back cushions?I was back at this house recently & measured it for you - the seat is 400 off the floor - a little higher than might be usual. The back of the seat to sill is also relatively high - 520 - its a lo...
June 28, 2016
Commented: Any ideas of where we could source the floor tile?Yes - the colour scheme was developed by the owner through a web based tile service: Trend: Trend Mosaic They were well priced. The colour mix was a development from one of their standard mixes. If yo...
May 22, 2016
Commented: Flame zone?Hi Katy,
yes this house was rated as being in a flame zone. The regulations since then have changed, but this house has static water storage & a fire sprinkler system which you can see on the roof...
September 30, 2015
Commented: BrickHi Kimberly,
that finish is paint over a "light bagging".
Bagged brickwork is something your bricklayer can do as they go, or you can do it when the wall is complete. It is not really render...
May 20, 2015
Commented: BrickHi Kimberley - I'm so sorry I missed your question. Perhaps it is too late, but here is your answer: they are brick commons, flush jointed, lightly bagged, with a Porters acrylic paint. Light bagging ...
May 20, 2015
Commented: Custom floor planHi,
good luck with your project.
The following opinions are provided with the intention of assisting you to refine your expectations of the design provided. My comments are limited by not having yo...
April 16, 2015 in Design Dilemma
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