![[object Object]](https://images.mhnsw.au/fotoweb/embed/2026/04/aa89102e93234a16960fcb8904172116.jpg)
North Bondi House
Sydney Open Symposium: House Tours
Sunday 24 May 2026
An ambitious renovation of a semidetached house that uses architecture and landscape to create a layered living experience
About the building
North Bondi House is an ambitious reworking of a single-level, semidetached house in North Bondi. Designed by architect Anthony Gill as his family home, the project is small and efficient, with overlapping interior uses maximising the site’s tight footprint, while an abundant garden creates a strong connection to the streetscape.
The site’s suburban context is a mix of apartment buildings and overdeveloped semidetached homes, where front doors and rooms have been sacrificed for carports, and gardens are reduced to the minimum. North Bondi House counters this approach by removing fences and barriers, increasing openings to the street that encourage a connection between public and private spaces.
Inside, the size of the house (and the project budget) meant that Gill had to get creative. While traditional homes usually have separate, contained spaces for living, dining and bathing, North Bondi House presents a more layered living experience. Operable timber screens, interior curtains and the minimal use of fixed-in joinery provide the home with flexibility, adjusting the level of privacy or creating more space as the need arises. The architecture also details how the home is lived in, dispersing amenities throughout the floor plan to create a dynamic configuration that ebbs and flows.
Modifications to the existing brick structure are clearly identified with timber cladding, while the new two-storey component sits directly over the main front room to create a marker for the street corner.
Landscaping was considered very early in the process. The plants are largely native, chosen for their ability to thrive in the sandy soil with no irrigation. The idea was for each of the multiple gardens to be abundant and mixed, varying based on exposure to the sun.
Although the project was modest in size and budget, its ambition ensures a rich and unique way of living.
Architect/Designer
Anthony Gill Architects
Get more from the Sydney Open Symposium
Add a house tour
Add a private house tour to your ticket and see the lessons of the symposium materialised.
See all house toursMeet the speakers
Discover the industry experts and innovating trailblazers who will be speaking at the symposium.
See all speakersExplore the program
The symposium will feature talks and panels exploring the past, present and future state of housing.
See the full schedule