Laura Street, Newtown, NSW

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Directly next-door to another project by atarchitecture, the brief for this project was to retain but update, enlarge & improve a single storey, two bedroom home to be more suitable for a professional couple, their three cats & one dog.  The main driver behind the renovation was to improve the living areas and to relocate the bathroom closer to the existing bedrooms thus improving the outlook and natural daylight for the living area.

 

The existing, previously renovated (circa 1990’s) front part of the house remained in-tact with just new hardwood flooring to the hall and a fresh cost of paint.  The entirely new living area creates a space with interest and volume to break-down the normal gun-barrel effect typical of early 20thcentury terrace houses.  Dropping the living area floor down to the level of the existing rear yard opened up opportunities to create space & height which was then articulated with the addition of a sculptural plywood ceiling that starts outside on the north side of the house, drops down over the kitchen and then curves up to south facing clerestory windows.  The result allows good northern sunlight in winter and the large northern roof overhang & operable windows on both ends of the living room afford shading & natural ventilation in summer.

 

Status:  Completed 2014.