Unseen from the street, a materially rich addition transforms the living experience in this Federation-era Sydney house, from humble cottage to a home of distinctive, generous spaces, infused with daylight and greenery. It’s a rigorous response to the constraints of a compact site, heritage façade and south-facing aspect.

The two-storey rear addition adds two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs, with a downstairs living, dining and kitchen area bookended by nature. Stitching old and new together is a timber-lined staircase adjoining a central light well that brings daylight, fresh air, and a garden pocket to the centre of the plan. 

Robust materials lend strength and warmth. Blonde brick walls rise to a lime-whitened concrete ceiling, impressed with timber grain. Details include a scalloped skylight above the living space and fluted walls in the bathroom. The result is a cheerful, calming and clever set of spaces, at home in the urban wilds of Sydney.