Brief: To create an effortless city bolt-hole, a place of beauty and retreat for a young professional couple, their baby boy and the grandparents, all on a tiny narrow lot.

Challenges: Overcome a highly constrained and narrow lot with severe noise and over-looking issues from the adjacent commercial block, working with an inter-war semi-detached house with compartmentalised room layout to create a light-filled and open plan home.

Solutions: Adopt the hip roof form of the original house and repeat for the two new rear pavilions; living room and outbuilding addition. The outbuilding serves as a shed as well as accommodation for the grandparents and guest accommodation. Importantly the height and orientation of the structure provides a buffer to the rear lane noise and commercial building overlooking.  The living pavilion has skylights that serve a double height living space. The kitchen is nestled beneath a new first floor study with framed blue sky views across the dense urban site.

Highlights: Increasing the diversity of accommodation in our urban neighbourhoods by creating playful and innovative options for intergenerational living.