When architect Ed Lippmann faced the decision of what to do with his family's 1920s bungalow in Rose Bay, the economics pointed clearly in one direction: knock it down and build something much larger. But he chose a different path entirely.
Instead, Lippmann and his wife Sonia, also an architect, spent the past decade redesigning their childhood home in a way that flies in the face of prevailing Sydney real estate logic. The result, renamed Casa Dos, is a stripped-back modernist renovation that comes in at just 194 square metres of floorspace, well below the current NSW average of 239 square metres.
The renovation cost roughly $1000 per square metre, plus an additional $5000 per day for crane operations to install the home's signature five-metre glass walls and steel framing. Remarkably, this careful redesign proved more expensive than a demolition and rebuild would have been. Lippmann, however, had reasons beyond economics. His father Henry arrived in Australia in 1940 aboard the HMT Dunera, seeking refuge from Nazi persecution. The 1920s bungalow in Rose Bay represented his father's escape and hope, purchased in the early 1960s and home to generations of the Lippmann family.
The home now contains artwork that preserves this family narrative. Large abstract paintings incorporate German letters written to Henry before his family were killed in the Holocaust, alongside texts by Lippmann himself and his 102-year-old mother Julie. These pieces form what Lippmann calls the "Lippmann Rosetta Stone".
Access to the property proved genuinely difficult. The site sits on a cul-de-sac 35 steps down from street level, accessible by another 42 steps from where the road continues above the escarpment. This challenging topography, combined with Lippmann's commitment to keeping the home small, required council approval for a lift and careful planning around the constraints.
In Sydney's premium postcodes, oversized homes dominate. According to the architect's own assessment, "audacious McMansions" claim sites where owners pursue maximum height and square metres possible, typically large white boxes focused on unobstructed views. Australian housing data shows a recent countervailing trend, with home sizes decreasing by 13 per cent over the past decade in capital cities, and studies revealing that one-quarter of Australians now prefer smaller homes for their lower maintenance and running costs.
Yet for Lippmann, the decision to design small emerged partly from his wife's influence. Sonia convinced him that a smaller home would prove more sustainable and enjoyable to live in long-term. The renovation was also undertaken with ageing in place in mind; as his mother approaches her 103rd year, the lift access and single-storey layout make the property more functional for an elderly resident.
The design philosophy proved consistent with Lippmann's wider practice. Known for major projects including 8 Chifley Square and the redesigned Andrew (Boy) Charlton Pool, he has maintained a stated commitment to modernist rigour and environmental sustainability over superficial grandeur. The Casa Dos project demonstrates this principle applied to his own family home.
Lippmann's childhood bedroom now serves as the master suite. Two additional bedrooms remain deliberately modest, sized to accommodate weekend guests without encouraging lengthy visits. The 539-square-metre garden was left intentionally wild and lush. When his brother visited after the renovation's completion, he called it "bloody fantastic".
The approach offers a quiet rebuke to the sprawl-obsessed design culture that has dominated high-value Sydney property. Where developers and builders prioritise maximum volume and developers find larger homes more profitable, Lippmann's Casa Dos asks whether smaller, more thoughtfully designed homes might prove more liveable, more economically honest, and more grounded in real family needs rather than property market speculation.