Bundarra Building Shows Heritage Restoration and Modern Design Can Be Best Friends.

Photography: Romello Pereira.

Photography: Luc Remond.

The busy corner of South Dowling and Fitzroy Streets in Sydney’s Surry Hills has had an impressive glow-up. Bundarra, a collaboration between Smart Design Studio (architecture) and Those Architects (interiors), is one of those projects that makes you stop and look twice.

This new home for creative agency Howatson+Company isn’t your typical heritage-meets-modern story. Sure, there’s a beautifully restored Victorian terrace, but it’s what Smart Design Studio did next that’s really clever. They’ve wrapped it in a five-storey glass and zinc extension that twists as it rises, creating a dynamic form that responds to its highly visible corner position.

Those angled zinc fins aren’t just showing off—they’re working overtime to control sun and glare while still flooding the offices with natural light. The patinated finish gives them a rich, weathered look that feels right at home in Surry Hills’ gritty-meets-polished vibe.

The building steps up to the main street corner, then drops back towards the laneway behind. It’s a smart move that respects the neighbourhood scale without playing it safe. The contrast between the heritage terrace and contemporary addition is bold but not jarring. They complement each other rather than competing.

Photography: Luc Remond.

Those Architects handled the interiors. The three floors of new workspace feature sweeping timber desks that curve like the building’s glass facade. It’s custom furniture that actually makes sense—no concealed services mess, just clean lines and killer views across the neighbourhood.

“Working with Chris Howatson, we pushed the boat out creatively on this project,” says Ben Mitchell from Those Architects. “The intention was to create a timeless home for the pioneering agency, a space that would house people and art, drive interaction, and inspire output.”

The heritage building houses the quieter functions—meeting rooms, bathrooms, and circulation. Things get fun in each meeting room which have its own bold colour scheme that works as wayfinding. No confusing room numbers—just head to “the Tangerine” or “the Cacao Lounge.” It’s playful without trying hard.

Downstairs is a communal kitchen that curves to echo the architecture above. A timber bench runs along one wall with custom tables for everything from quick coffees to creative workshops. A brick screen keeps it private from the street but still connected to Surry Hills’ energy.

A Hybrid Creative Space in Paddington Blends Old With New.

Borrowing languages of the existing neighbourhood, the building's new sleeve is made of rugged textural quality that quietly leans into the surrounding green, leaving an elegant modesty.

Photography: Luc Remond.

The sustainability story is solid, too. Green-certified everything, including carpets made from angora goat hair dyed with natural pigments. Rooftop solar panels offset energy use, and the building’s efficient core means less stuff needed overall.

What really works here is how the material palette ties it all together. That olive-green from the exterior fins flows through the interiors, while local artworks by figures like Destiny Deacon and Albert Namatjira add cultural weight.

Chris Howatson sums it up: “The design environment reflects my personality. I have always been fortunate in waking up feeling energised and this building offers the same—you step inside and it invigorates you.”

This project shows you can be commercially smart and architecturally ambitious at the same time. By keeping 40% of the existing building and using materials efficiently, Smart Design Studio and Those Architects created something that’s both rooted in place and unapologetically contemporary.

It’s exactly the kind of development inner city neighbourhoods need—respectful of what came before but not afraid to make a statement about what comes next.

Thoughtful Design, Strong Partnerships and a Willingness to Experiment Converge in this Game-Changing Sydney Office.

Rochester Street Office is the poster child for collaborative design and innovative thinking, setting a new standard for workplace architecture in repurposed industrial areas.

[Images courtesy of Smart Design Studio and Those Architects. Photography by Romello Pereira and Luc Remond.]