These Sydney residences are embracing indoor-outdoor connection and improving their existing features

Aqua Architects’ Director, Marco Spanu, is often working across various projects at a time, helping design new spaces and breathe new life into existing homes.

One of the most recent projects is a renovation situated in a heritage area of Kensington, around four kilometres south-east of the centre of Sydney.

“The client came to us with a very detailed brief. The family have lived there for generations, with this being the client’s grandparents’ house, then his parents’ house, and now he lives there, growing a family with two little kids,” shares Marco. 

The family had outgrown the space, so an extension was added to the back of the home. 

One of the main things that the family asked for was for the solid Tasmanian oak kitchen to be retained, which had been built by the owner’s grandfather. 

“The other thing that they wanted to maintain was the original cork floor in the kitchen, which is something you don’t see that often nowadays but it’s something they grew up with.”

Flooded with natural light, the extension welcomes in the outdoors through floor-to-ceiling windows, with dark green cabinetry mimicking the tones of the backyard. 

“We wanted to find something that would work well with the existing timber cabinets and the cork floor. But we wanted to be honest in showing the old part and the new part – we believe that integrating doesn’t mean the need to mimic, but helping the elements to work together. This new cabinetry has a more modern profile and the deep green gives a sense of nature. So, in the extension, we put something a bit more modern that’s complementary to the old part of the house.” 

Upstairs, the home also makes the most of natural light, with views of the backyard greenery and across to Royal Randwick Racecourse.

Approved to start construction, embracing natural elements is the focus of an apartment renovation in Manly on Sydney’s north shore. 

To maximise the locality, a large window will be added to overlook the ocean and make the space feel larger. 

“We’re renovating everything inside to give it a wow factor. In the kitchen, we’re incorporating curves and bringing in the natural materials that you see on the outside,” says Marco.

Following the contours of the waves, the base of the island bench is curvaceous with an incorporated, organic-shaped breakfast table. The stone is subdued in tone, along with the rest of the space, allowing the view to be the focal point.

A three-storey modern architectural home in Castle Cove has also benefited from renovation work by Aqua Architects. 

Originally with a steep driveway, the home’s garage was unusable. “We excavated almost six metres into the land to create a new garage next to the house at a different level so cars can now go straight in there,” says Marco. 

The homeowners also wanted to add a pool – no easy feat with the site’s small remaining footprint. The answer: adding the pool to the top of the new garage.

“This is something very different and it was a challenge in construction. The main challenge was to make sure that we created a structure that could perform the double role of being the roof of the garage, while also being the underside of the swimming pool. It has all been done in concrete and it was very important that we chose the right waterproofing system.”

The placement of the new garage with the above pool meant a new connection from the first floor to the pool could be created.

Future-proofing the home was also a key consideration with a lift shaft installed to connect the three levels.

“Lifts are getting more and more popular. It’s a trend we’re seeing, especially in high-level, luxury homes. I think it’s part of having an ageing population as well as adding value.”

Sydney-based Aqua Architects prides itself on being more than just an architecture firm, focusing on listening attentively to clients’ needs to envision and craft unique designs. 

If you’re looking for a team like this to bring your space to life, get in touch with Aqua Architects and explore more of their projects on ArchiPro for inspiration.