Brief: To create a contemporary, vibrant and private home for a young family of three that makes use of its garden and rear lane. Transforming a dilapidated, damp and ultra narrow single-storey terrace house in Sydney’s inner city into a stunning two-storey home that reveals and celebrates its history, providing three bedrooms including parents retreat with ensuite and walk-through-robe, study, kids attic room, open-plan kitchen and living opening onto an outdoor entertaining area.
Challenges: The extremely narrow site and single-storey terrace in a Heritage Conservation Area made achieving the required spaces challenging, while maintaining a respectful scale and bulk in relation to the streetscape and neighbouring dwellings.
Solutions: Creation of a second rear pavilion offset from the front heritage section of the house, discretely concealing a new two-storey structure from the street while linking it delicately to the old part of the house. In between this created opportunities for natural light, air and views of a nearby tree canopy to enter into the most enclosed part of the house. Building within the roof space of the heritage terrace enabled an addition bedroom and ample storage to be introduced. Paint from the original party wall was stripped and the original brickwork up-lit and exposed along the hallway. A mesh link-bridge and folding metal stair allow for a lightness to the dining room below and a sense of playfulness in the ever changing daylight.
Highlights: Working with a character rich terrace house to peel back the layers and let them tell their story.
