Campbell House Private Office

Woollahra, Sydney

This original 1890s house in a Heritage Conservation area was transformed from the old German Embassy into a sustainable, low energy workspace that is fully connected to its surrounding landscape. By bringing in the landscape and opening the interior to natural light above, the inside and outside are integrated. With interior biophilia in mind, conditions have been established to sustain a 35-year-old, 8m high, mature Weeping Fig tree, planted in the office atrium as the central focus of the new building. The tree was selected due to its ability to grow in the optimal ‘low light’ conditions, that mimicked the internal environment of the building. Its adaptation to these conditions meant that it had naturally formed a bonsaied habit with an open canopy. The surrounding contemporary design interventions, like the tree, breathes new life into the building.