A new home near Bondi Beach is putting structural brickwork front and center, not as a finish, but as the architecture itself. Sydney practice Common Office has completed Ramsgate House, a four-storey residence designed for a young family in North Bondi.
The headline move is on the primary facade, where a rhythm of arches creates a modern take on the classical loggia. Instead of relying on applied ornament, the arches are formed through traditional double and triple-skin brick masonry. In the project description, the brick arches act as load-bearing structural elements while also shaping what the occupants experience, framing views, daylight, and moments of privacy next to a very public streetscape.
In this context, the loggia works as an in-between zone. It mediates visibility between the home and its surroundings while adding shade and spatial depth, a practical response for a coastal setting.
For mason contractors, the takeaway is straightforward. When the brickwork is doing the structural work and the finished expression at the same time, the masonry scope is central to the project’s performance and its look. Details like arch geometry, bonding, and multi-skin execution are not secondary tasks, they are the building’s face and its structure.
Common Office points to historical precedent in the loggia’s long history, and references the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana as an influence for the project’s arched language.
Read the full, original article from Trend Hunter here.