The Tyerenotepanner; Panninher and Lettermairrener people of the Stoney Creek Nation
Tasmania
Cumulus Studio’s design for the renovation of this Tasmanian home realised the clients’ vision to create a space that better facilitated family life, while retaining a connection to the building’s significant heritage character, and maximising its exposure to the sun.
Throughout the careful reconfiguration of existing spaces, and a considered upgrade to a previous ‘lean-to’ addition, the design takes cues from the early nineteenth-century home’s symmetry, proportions, window-to-wall ratio, and overall form, conceiving the proposal as a simple, singular architectural idea, with inspiration drawn from the existing arched windows and chimney pot.
Sustainability was a critical consideration for both the client and architect, with locally-sourced carbon-neutral bricks, sustainably-sourced Tasmanian oak flooring and veneers, and Tasmanian-made plywood featuring heavily.
The result is a generous, light-filled and enduring transformation that enhances daily liveability for a growing family, while allowing the heritage value of the home’s original craftsmanship to remain its primary expression.
Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Balfour Terrace is a clever and restrained reconfiguration of the existing footprint, using thoughtful planning, intersecting internal volumes and curated views to create a deeply functional family home with generous spaces for gathering, cooking, dining and everyday life.
A single decisive architectural move, supported by internal reconfigurations, transforms a house into a coherent, generous home that restores ease, connection and belonging.
The integrity of the early 19th-century house is carefully held with minimal intervention. New insertions are light-filled and volumetric, slipping gently within the original fabric without overwhelming it, and with no increase in footprint.
Set quietly within its streetscape, the addition is restrained and legible, responding to the existing building while clearly expressing its internal order. Carbon-neutral, low-maintenance materials define the exterior, with timber deployed intentionally, including vaulted forms to the new kitchen and dining space.
Modesty, scale and restraint underpin the work. Internally, a layered material palette introduces warmth, tactility, spaces for calm, and unexpected moments of joy that subtly enrich daily life.
Balfour Terrace is a precise exercise in spatial clarity and care—an architectural idea distilled into a grounded, enduring family home that gently transforms how it is lived, felt, and shared.
Award for Residential Architecture - Houses (Alterations and Additions)
Balfour Terrace is a clever and restrained reconfiguration of the existing footprint, using thoughtful planning, intersecting internal volumes and curated views to create a deeply functional family home with generous spaces for gathering, cooking, dining and everyday life.
A single decisive architectural move, supported by internal reconfigurations, transforms a house into a coherent, generous home that restores ease, connection and belonging.
The integrity of the early 19th-century house is carefully held with minimal intervention. New insertions are light-filled and volumetric, slipping gently within the original fabric without overwhelming it, and with no increase in footprint.
Set quietly within its streetscape, the addition is restrained and legible, responding to the existing building while clearly expressing its internal order. Carbon-neutral, low-maintenance materials define the exterior, with timber deployed intentionally, including vaulted forms to the new kitchen and dining space.
Modesty, scale and restraint underpin the work. Internally, a layered material palette introduces warmth, tactility, spaces for calm, and unexpected moments of joy that subtly enrich daily life.
Balfour Terrace is a precise exercise in spatial clarity and care—an architectural idea distilled into a grounded, enduring family home that gently transforms how it is lived, felt, and shared.
We had lived in this beautiful 1860s terrace house for a decade, but the needs of our young family had changed. We had never renovated before, but we conveyed our vision to Todd at Cumulus, and the team was able to execute what we’d dreamt of even beyond our expectations. The transformation of the space is remarkable – it’s open, beautiful and functional, and makes spending time at home with our young family and friends more relaxed and enjoyable.”
Todd Henderson, Design Architect
Josh Fair, Architectural Technician
A2 Kitchens & Joinery, Cabinet Maker
Collection Consulting, Services Consultant
Radian Surveying, Land Surveyor
Plumb Building Surveying, Building Surveyor
Anjie Blair, Photographer