Situated at the top of the hill between Bondi and Tamarama along Sydney’s iconic seaside is Bismarck House. An urban oasis designed by Andrew Burges Architects for Julia and William Dangar, and the location of Mokum’s Surface and Surface Outdoor collection photoshoots.
Architecturally, the design reimagines what a 20th century semi-detached villa can be and was deeply influenced by the surrounding environment. Prioritizing ventilation and capturing the north-easterly breezes during Australia’s hot summer months.
Unlike many projects, this house was built to complement the garden, not the other way around. Designed by homeowner and landscape architect William Dangar of Dangar Barin Smith, “the garden is an abstract arrangement of hardy, interesting plants which complement the quirky architectural details. For example, the scoops in the architecture allow for windows of light and hidden courtyards,” says Julia.
The garden forms a continuous boundary along the laneway, creating a fluid relationship between the interior and exterior spaces and framing a central Bismarck Palm within the cactus garden, which also gives the property its name. The garden’s palette and materials are intentionally “industrial and raw, there’s lots of texture with a robust nature; we always designed this house as a space to share with like-minded guests.”
