Smart Design Studio - Architecture ‘Inside Out’

Smart Design Studio is a nationally and internationally recognised practice whose award-winning, multi-disciplinary work spans architecture, interiors, urban design, residential, heritage, commercial and more. Their commercial works include Morris Suites, Town Hall House and Büro, but the workplace that stands out the most is the design of their own studio.

Housed within a 1950s brick warehouse in a conservation area in Alexandria, Sydney, the project was driven by the sheer amount of space available. During a podcast interview with Design Vault, Smart explained what they learned from their previous studio space. They recognised the need for one large, unified space where the whole studio can work together on the one floor, with minimal smaller rooms used as a breakout zone, model-making room, materials library and a front-of-house meeting area.

The front seven-metre strip was worn from 60 years of repurposing - it was the only section of the building that had to undergo a complete demolition. Its exterior is defined by a curved brick vaulted façade - an expressive display of construction that brought all bricklaying and engineering experts to the table. “We worked out a way to lay the bricks on top of each other almost at 45 degrees,” Smart explained. To achieve it they had to set three layers at a time overnight, using only bricks, glue and no mortar joints - just some steel framing and brick ties.

The main 20 by 20 metre room acts as a clean, white canvas for creativity to flow, held by the original sawtooth steel trusses above. Rows of tables are punctuated by hundreds of models in various stages of completion and hand drawings pinned onto walls.

This is a carbon neutral building, producing its own power and collecting its own water that is reused on site. They solved their window-to-wall ratio (the trade off between natural light and temperature regulation) through underfloor hydraulic pipe heating (cooling in the summer), as well as actuators that automatically open and close the windows. This building quite literally breathes - replenishing workers with a fresh air supply every morning. Smart was aware of how poor ventilation is often a challenge in workplaces, with a majority of workers battling constant fatigue and brain fog.

Smart Design Studio has a distinct philosophy that is evident in its unique aesthetic. As practitioners of pure modernism, they believe that “form has a function” and that architecture must be developed “from the inside out”. Their studio space echoes this sentiment perfectly. From understanding how their team operates, to expert brickwork, to sustainable design that circulates energy - they truly have created their workspace from “the inside out”.

Credits

Project
Smart Design Studio (Studio + Residence)
Alexandria, Sydney, Australia

Architect
Smart Design Studio

Principal Architect
William Smart

Photography
Romello Pereira