Residential - Renovation and Extension
A renovation and extension to a single level post-war brick house in Brunswick West. The clients came to us with some simple but very meaningful requirements.They ask us to create a home that:
“the more the home pushes us outside to live, the better”
“a home that provides just enough shelter for just those times when we cannot live, work and play outside”
“spending time on a deck under trees might be the norm, not the exception “
The primary issue with the house was its spatial flow and how the spaces related to one another. Despite its size, the layout was inefficiently utilized. To address this, we decided to remove the central living room, which was causing awkward spatial blockages, and replace it with a courtyard.
This change significantly improved natural light, ventilation, and the connection to the garden, while re-establishing an effective spatial flow throughout the home.
The newly created central courtyard now acts as the heart of the house, around which all other rooms are organized.
This design choice not only enhances the spatial experience but also aligns with the clients’ core philosophy of merging the outdoors with the interior.
To build on this idea, we aimed to enable the owners to fully integrate the garden with the interior space. We designed timber sliding doors that stack neatly into concealed pockets. When these doors are fully retracted and out of sight, there’s a unique moment when the garden takes prominence over the house itself.
