The client brief was to demolish an existing dilapidated single-storey house and design two residences on one site that offered contemporary living with plenty of useable spaces.
To address the client brief for a contemporary design within a heritage conservation area, our solution was a new integrated primary and secondary residence with a traditional street presence and a contemporary look to the rear. We took advantage of the raking front boundary line, by stepping the front elevation of the building, to provide a street front and separate entrance to each dwelling. The traditional roof form makes the building present as one residence.
The primary dwelling is built over two-storeys with a modern open plan kitchen, dining and living area opening up to a deck and backyard. It accommodates four bedrooms with the main bedroom suite on the first floor complete with an ensuite and a generous walk-in-robe.
The secondary dwelling to the front of the site is an efficiently planned single-storey house. This residence includes an open plan kitchen, dining and lounge room, which addresses the street, looking across a landscaped garden. It contains a sizeable bedroom, bathroom and laundry cupboard. The orientation of all windows to the northern side makes for a well-lit and naturally ventilated home.
A north facing internal courtyard provides separation between the dwellings and also allows natural daylight into the centre of the primary dwelling, particularly the main living spaces.
Project Team: Owen Haviland, Michele Harding, Deepika Ratnaraj, Andrew Coutinho, Esraa Kalil & Haviland Architects team