Sidney House | OH Architecture

With a very personnel story behind the brief, Sidney House was a design response, that aimed to bring to life to a house that would have normally been condemned to landfill. Through a process of peeling back certain layers of the house and carefully and strategically building it back with a new perspective, the house went through a transformative evolution that brought its soul back.

The use of raw, robust materials, with considered landscape integration allows the home to serve as a calming, self-maintaining sanctuary for the client. Passive design, and appropriation of site and context took a house from something that didn’t consider any aspects of where is sat to openly embracing the land and location in where it sits.

T House | Reddog Architects

T House presents to the neighbourhood as the existing post war home – small in size but big in heart. The design response was to undertake minimal interventions within the existing house while providing additional amenity via a new extension. The renovation seeks to revisit the brief for a family home 70 years after the original home was conceived, without diminishing the intrinsic qualities.

The extension was designed to break down the bulk of the of the building; giving the appearance of a collection of individual forms rather than one large house.

The first element of the extension contains the new living space located at the existing house level, the second is raised to form a vertical space which contains the primary bedroom and a small studio; enabling these spaces to be private and regenerative while also providing moments where the house can project into the public life of the neighbourhood.

Surrey Hills Garden Terrace | Kieron Gait Architects

A gentle reconfiguration of a decorative 1920’s home.
A new garden terrace acts as a filter between house and garden, managing change of level and orientation to allow the spaces to naturally connect. The terrace takes its material palette from the existing house, whilst its form anchors itself to the garden whilst bringing in light.
Internal reconfigurations used the strong lines of the existing picture rail to curate openings. The new kitchen connects to the dining room and can be configured to open to the garden or terrace with shutters that can be drawn to shield from the low western sun. Small interventions include a window seat, bathroom, laundry, powder room and lighting.
The swimming pool was given a new setting by bringing garden to the coping and building a pair of diving platforms hovering over the pool edge whilst much of the lawn has been given over to native planting .

Verandah Terraces | Phorm architecture + design

Verandah Terraces is a residential building intended specifically to reflect upon Brisbane’s identity, a bridge between its past and future. Verandahs are a specific cultural territory which we, as a Practice, advocate as the appropriate ‘platform for living’ in our Subtropical City.

Verandahs were the local adaptations, introduced to temper the climate and protect the Georgian core of early colonial buildings. Verandahs are now appreciated as liminal spaces, mediating the contrasting conditions of exterior and interior, their interface with the elements creating a poetic and particular experience of place.

Our strategy has been to utilise the existing internal rooms of the cottage as the required ‘interiors’ to the brief and introduce a counterpoint of open living platforms or ‘terraces’ to the Site. There is an immediacy to the structural legibility of the recycled hardwood timber frame and expressed tectonics. A build that demonstrates and celebrates its own making and crafting.

View Street Renovations and Extensions | Jim Gall Architects Pty Ltd and Five Mile Radius

The view street house works hard to accommodate and enhance the lives of a young family. It respects the character of its street and location on the highly valued Paddington and Red Hill Ridges of inner Brisbane.

The client and the architect see eye–to–eye in understanding the privilege of being able to have a house, a beautiful old Queenslander, in this place and the enormous value (biophyscially, socially, economically, experientially, aesthetically and emotionally) of an existing house.

Three new pavilions were added following the core rationale of the Queenslander: clarity of expression of responses to the climate and site; simple geometry and construction; raw, functional and durable materials and craft skills. These pavilions contrast with and frame to old, renovated house.

Demolition of 19980s/90s additions brought light and views back into the house. The demolished materials were assessed and re–used, along with additional recycled endemic hardwoods, in the construction.

Yarralumla House | Jean Architects

Step into a residential endeavor that combines timeless charm with contemporary allure. Tucked away in the cul–de–sac of Yarralumla, this residence captures the spirit of Mid–century design while seamlessly integrating indoor and outdoor living.

Central to the architectural vision is a transformative concept: establishing a harmonious connection between the living spaces and the backyard. This vision materialises through the implementation of a split–level design, guiding occupants from the existing house to the garden level.

The dwelling undergoes a metamorphosis, guided by two distinct design narratives. The original segment pays homage to the enigmatic allure of the night, embracing a dark and moody aesthetic. In contrast, the newly added section, strategically oriented towards the backyard, blossoms into a lively celebration of light and colour.

Well-Connected | Enfold with Allan Spira, Architect

Guided by social and sustainable values, Well–Connected is an exemplary demonstration in the careful integration of new areas and refinement of existing spaces to deliver a greatly improved, yet modest home which significantly enhances the quality of life for its young family within.

Newly defined spaces serve as hubs for social interaction, enriching the lives of the owners as they occupy different areas of the home. The incorporation of passive design principles and attention to detail enhances thermal efficiency and elevates comfort levels well beyond standard requirements.

Values of sustainability and social connection are prioritised, while moments of architectural delight provide further validity to the investment of this project. Well–Connected stands as a testament to the possibilities of sustainable and social values led design – promising years of enjoyment and fulfillment for its occupants ahead.

White House | Spaceagency

White–House explores the enduring image and value of the ‘white painted timber cottage’ and seeks to construct a contemporary interpretation that riffs on the detail, material and cultural associations.

The Carnac St precinct, South Fremantle, is typified by the collective aesthetic of small timber and iron workers cottages that characterise the streetscape.

The existing weatherboard cottage, C1899, registered on the Municipal Heritage List for contribution to the streetscape. The verandah and front two rooms of the cottage are retained and restored, presenting as foreground to the streetscape with the rear extension set well back.

The north aspect is welcomed into indoor outdoor/living areas, extending the sense of space and easy connection to the garden, alfresco terrace and swimming pool, generous and flexible spaces that can evolve with the family as their needs change.

The project emphasises preservation, functionality, and sustainable design that contribute to the legacy of the site.

Un Peu Perrault | MyMyMy Architecture

**Un Peu Perrault is a Testament to Light Touch Architectural Transformation**

Un Peu Perrault, by MyMyMy Architecture, stands as a testament to the transformative power of sensitive light touch architecture to enhance family connections and elevate daily life. Carefully balancing preservation of the original building fabric with the integration of a bright, inviting extension, the project caters to the evolving needs of the family.

Seamlessly blending innovation with functionality, MyMyMy Architecture’s design fosters moments of tranquillity and familial joy through meticulous attention to detail. Key features include a zigzag folded and perforated steel screen, which redefines street presence, and strategic apertures that infuse interiors with warmth.

This new addition by MyMyMy Architecture is an exercise in restraint. Un Peu Perrault serves as a symbol of architectural metamorphosis, seamlessly melding interior comfort with exterior aesthetics.

Un Peu Perrault is situated in Downer, ACT, on the land of the Ngunnawal people.

Vessel | Madeleine Blanchfield Architects

Vessel is a Victorian Terrace situated in a quiet enclave amidst vibrant Darlinghurst. The philosophy for the project was to design a bare stage for life’s theatre to fill and empty.

Our response to early heritage advice that a new addition would require a pitched roof form was to take this further and create a double skylit void in a folded roof form. These two funnels of light explore the fullness of the void invoking the feeling of being inside a ceramic vessel which opens at the top and in which the space inside the object creates the form.

The design is a testament to focussing on the creation of an atmosphere rather than the embellishment of spaces. The scrutiny and distilling down of what’s essential to house within a home reveals the value of empty space in this design; how joy, discovery and meaning emerge from an empty stage.