While the trend towards open-plan living drives the designs of many contemporary renovations, there is an element of group-think in many architectural responses to this choice. At times, particularly in period homes, a wide open-plan extension can create an imbalance between the old and new.

It is in these situations that we believe the application of more creative energy is necessary. A more measured approach can produce the desired modern feel while maintaining that old-new balance.

In this classically narrow Melbourne terrace, the typical open-plan response would have betrayed the tight confines of the site. Instead, we embraced the separate spaces of the existing building, using colour to help define distinct but interconnected living areas. The long side facade was broken up with two glazed courtyards, flooding the home with light.

This is a crafted, individual design that effectively blends heritage with modern and, in so doing, instils a genuine sense of comfort, harmony and privacy to the home.

Read reviews of this project from House & Garden and Architectural Review

tags: daylight, residential, terrace

This renovation to an existing worker’s cottage in North Fitzroy was one of the first commissions to be completed by the office. There were many challenging features to this site – for instance the site was very long + very thin (42mlong x 4.5mwide), the site is flanked by a laneway, and roughly in the centre of the site there was a boundary trap that we could not build over. Two courtyards created distinct breaks in the long laneway facade. They separate old from new as well as allow light and views to the interior of the house. The interior focus was on the careful connection of the new spaces to the existing. The dining room, living room and bedroom were treated as distinct rooms (rather than open plan) and are of similar proportions to the existing rooms of the cottage.

Check out the reviews from House & Garden and Architectural Review or see the project page here

tags: extension, media, residential, terrace