Ian Moore Architects’ Corner House presents a residential conversion of a 19th-century building in Surry Hills, Sydney, originally constructed as a pub before later use as a grocery store. The project retains the original façade while introducing a new rear extension defined by glass block walls and a steel frame. The plan is organized across three levels with an internal courtyard that brings daylight into the center of the layout. Existing structural elements were stabilized using an exposed steel portal frame inserted behind the heritage façade.
Ian Moore Architects’ project removes later additions and replaces them with a new volume set slightly back from the original structure to distinguish old from new. Interior spaces combine enclosed rooms with larger open areas distributed across the plan. Materials include oak joinery, terrazzo flooring, and white walls, with terraces positioned at the rear and roof levels. The building spans approximately three levels, with outdoor spaces integrated into the upper floors.
Adaptive Corner Houses
Ian Moore Architects’ Corner House converts a former shop into a residence
Trend Themes
1. Adaptive Reuse Heritage Integration - The blending of preserved façades with contemporary rear additions creates new value propositions for underutilized urban buildings by merging historical identity with modern programmatic needs.
2. Glass Block and Steel Hybrid Extensions - Projects that pair translucent masonry with exposed steel framing enable novel daylighting and structural expression that redefine boundary conditions between old and new volumes.
3. Internal Courtyard Daylight Strategies - Reintroducing light wells and courtyards into compact infill plans produces spatial and environmental benefits that challenge conventional multi-level residential layouts.
Industry Implications
1. Residential Architecture - Adaptive conversions of commercial or industrial stock into homes open opportunities for differentiated living typologies in dense urban markets.
2. Heritage Conservation - Conservation practices that integrate contemporary structural inserts and distinguish new work from original fabric create pathways for economically sustainable preservation models.
3. Construction Materials and Fabrication - The renewed use of materials like glass blocks, exposed steel portals, oak joinery, and terrazzo points toward prefabricated hybrid assemblies that streamline complex retrofit constructions.