A Sixties builder’s family house in Wonga Park that needed some work, designed in collaboration with Drew Carling.
On a prominent site at the crest of a hill, overlooking a valley of Federation featurism, the house survived a number of alterations, but a mid ‘80s ‘octagonal’ number wasn’t working.
The original brick house is restored with matching features where it wasn’t demolished. Lightweight additions are latched or hinged to the house at two points, and pivoted and scaled to suit the brief, sun and views. New sections are of a different world but play respectfully with the existing.
The extension peeks above the existing roof and old render walls show through the new elevations. A terracotta roof hip switches into a black wall with metre square plywood shingles.