The core concept was to provide an addition to the existing heritage double-fronted house that would be filled with natural materials, light and warmth.

The challenge was to provide the spaces for a family of 5 in a single storey house of 230m2 while also squeezing in two dedicated work from home spaces. Their budget wouldn’t allow for a two-storey addition, especially given how much of the existing heritage house would require costly restoration.

The decision was made early to retain much of the existing house, partly for heritage reasons, but also for environmental resourcefulness, and budget consciousness. This would allow focus on quality of spaces and materials rather than quantity.

The front two rooms were retained as bedrooms and restored. The next rooms we re-worked, one to accommodate a walk-in robe and ensuite and the other a tiny, but functional bathroom. As much as possible, existing walls were retained and worked within to minimise cost. Next are two more bedrooms, one of which is essentially the existing and the other had some re-working required.

Beyond that is the new addition including two independent compact home offices for regular working from home. Finally, is an open plan Living/Meals/Kitchen with a ribbon of highlight windows around the raised ceiling over the kitchen meals flooding the space in natural light (with integrated external blinds to control unwanted summer sun.)
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A space-conscious utility off the kitchen doubles as walk in Pantry and Laundry. Space efficiency throughout allows for the large north-facing back yard as desired in the brief and undercover outdoor spaces. A long shed on the west boundary provides generous storage and workshop space lost due to the necessary demolition of the large garage/shed/workshop form the original house. This efficient solution opens up to share the space of the back yard / car space when in use.

A key in providing the requisite rooms for a family of five within the compact footprint is the second Living room, retained from the existing heritage house. This ‘internal’ room doesn’t have any windows. Its darker quality befits the original house while dramatically contrasting the bright new spaces. But its useability is enhanced by re-used internal glass doors from the existing house that borrow light from new skylights in the hallways on either side of it making it a tranquil multi-purpose space.

The materials in the new Kitchen / Meals /Living include blackbutt floors and cabinetry and bagged recycled bricks which, flooded with natural light, provide a warm heart to the home.

External venetian blinds and folding arm awning are used on the east, north, and west windows to control for any overheating in the summer. While internal blinds and sheers retain the warmth in at night in winter and louvre windows to the north and south benefit from the southerly breezes to purge the heat at night in summer.

Access to the neighbouring properties, where grandparents live, is provided via a side gate visible from the study connecting the families together.