The Jagera people and the Turrbal people
Queensland
Brisbane
“Sydney House comprises the restoration of a two-storey postwar brick residence and the insertion of a new addition that celebrates the original home and performs as a supporting act to accommodate a growing family.
The addition adds a new chapter to the story of a house that was built in c. 1951, at a time of broader change in postwar Brisbane. In Sydney House, the celebration of the humble brick pays homage not only to the history of this particular house, but also to the history of the site and the suburb.”
Kirsty Volz, Houses Magazine.
Sydney House by Cavill Architects is a nuanced and respectful adaptation of a modest postwar brick residence in New Farm, demonstrating how heritage architecture can be both preserved and evolved. Retaining key interwar, modern features, including curved brick corners, cantilevered concrete hoods, and metal railings, the project introduces a contemporary rear addition that takes careful cues from the original. Curved geometries are reinterpreted in new forms that define outdoor rooms, while the language of the concrete hoods is echoed in sculptural soffits and thresholds.
The new work grows from the old rather than replicating it, reinforcing continuity through thoughtful inversions of material and spatial logic. Render now appears externally, and circulation is reoriented around garden courtyards. The original structure is stabilised and celebrated, while the addition amplifies its legacy through refined detailing and careful planning. Sydney House offers a compelling model for heritage practice: one that sees the past clearly and builds upon it with rigour, restraint, and imagination.
“The house feels genuinely like us. It’s been made for our family. It’s not for everyone, but we love it and there isn’t another one like it.
A highlight is the large kitchen window which opens to what the children call the fairy garden.”
Sandy Cavill, Design Architect
Lynn Wang, Project Architect
Nicola Kouvaras, Architectural Student
Chris Kotmel, Graduate of Architecture
Dan Young Landscape Architect, Landscape Consultant
Ruth Woods, Heritage Consultant
Property Projects Australia, Town Planner
Optimum Structures, Structural Engineer
Blair & Associates, Hydraulic Consultant
The Australian Institute of Architects acknowledges First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands, waters, and skies of the continent now called Australia.
We express our gratitude to their Elders and Knowledge Holders whose wisdom, actions and knowledge have kept culture alive.
We recognise First Nations peoples as the first architects and builders. We appreciate their continuing work on Country from pre-invasion times to contemporary First Nations architects, and respect their rights to continue to care for Country.
