An Architect Builds a Bunker-Esque Workspace That’s Designed for Future Updates

Architect Mathieu Levesque adds an office to his family’s Brisbane property with plans to renovate when his firm, LADA, grows out of the space.

Text by

Mandi Keighran

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When Mathieu Levesque and Julie Derrick founded their Brisbane architecture studio in 2013, they started in a spare bedroom of Levesque’s family home. As their creative practice, Levesque and Derrick Architects (LADA), began to grow, they realized they’d soon need more room. So, on the same site as Levesque’s home, they designed an office that was finished in the nick of time.

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"We moved in right when my wife and I had our second daughter," says Levesque, who’s glad to have the spare bedroom back, and is equally pleased with the new space. "Walking down the driveway and into this peaceful studio every morning feels quite magical."

A big part of the "magic" comes from the interplay of the surrounds with the office’s interiors, from early morning summer light that filters through a Tuckeroo tree, to the shadows of native nafray grasses planted on the roof that are cast on the wall through skylights.

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For Levesque and Derrick, it was essential that the office have a street presence and be sufficiently separate from the family home in order strike a work/life balance. They also wanted to be sure it wouldn’t restrict an extension of the home down the line, or impact the roots of a large camphor laurel tree on site. And, it needed to have the amenities of a studio apartment for when the firm outgrows the space.

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The studio is partially sunk into the site, making its entry at street level. The verge—the area between the property boundary and the roadway—has been landscaped with native plants, bluestone pavers, and a bottle tree. To give the studio a commercial presence, LADA added an aluminum display to the street-facing facade, a concrete wall that creates a courtyard at the entrance and simultaneously tempers street noise. An acoustically sealed entrance door further reduces noise levels, while a ventilation system fills the space with fresh air.

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"The studio is small, but all the glass connects it visually to the courtyard, making it feel larger," explains Levesque. Inside, a kitchenette is positioned beneath a skylight, while workstations are set in a darker area against the opposite wall. To keep the space from feeling visually crowded, LADA concealed the bathroom and storeroom behind plywood paneling.

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One of the defining aspects of the project is its integration with the surrounds. Along with the courtyard and landscaped verge, the roof of the studio features native plants and a vegetable garden that rest at ground level with home’s entry, creating a terrace filled with greenery.

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Unlike other properties along the street that have high fences for privacy, the studio embraces the streetscape. "For pedestrians, the studio must provide some form of visual relief for the neighborhood," says Levesque. "We often wave to daily walkers and the mailman as they go by."

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Levesque and his wife aren’t strict about keeping the studio a work-only zone. They’ve used it for gatherings when they don’t want to disturb sleeping children or neighbors, and as an apartment for guests to stay the night.

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In the future, Levesque plans to add a floor to create a retreat for parents or teenagers; the concrete roof will allow for an easy renovation. In another instance of clever forward planning, the skylight can be replaced with a staircase to link the two levels.

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Much of the project’s $108,000 budget was spent on excavation, retaining walls, waterproofing, and the concrete slab. Even if Levesque chooses to change the structure several times throughout its life, there will always be a solid foundation. He also did much of the painting and carpentry himself to keep costs down.

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"After having worked for many years in a family house with kids and a playful dog, the peace and quiet of the new office is amazing," says Levesque. "Now the kids are growing up. They love coming down for morning tea with me, or drawing in the studio next to me after school."