This house on the New South Wales Central Coast appears as a new home. However, behind its raw fibro cement and timber-battened detailing lies a 1970s building extended over a number of decades – the ground floor was previously a multi-coloured brick while a lightweight structure was added in the 1990s, complete with bullnose verandahs. And later, in the early noughties, a large protected concrete deck was added to the north-facing garden, conceived as an indoor-outdoor room.

For the owners, a couple with two adult children who were moving from a large project-designed house nearby, the spaces in this new abode, were just a tad too tight and enclosed. Fabric Architecture gave the house an entirely new ‘skin’, remodelled some of the existing rooms and provided a more fluid and open plan design for its clients. While some outdoor decks hardly create the basis for a new structure, this deck was constructed by a concreter, hence it provided the perfect foundation for a new living area. And by removing the ceiling and creating a void of approximately seven metres in height, the spaces could be opened up to the adjacent kitchen as well as the majestic eucalypts and Norfolk pines outside. A new brick blade wall, complete with industrial-style windows and a tilt-up steel-and-glass door, also responds to the industrial aesthetic the owners were keen to achieve (including exposed structural beams and trims painted black). A new ‘bridge’ was added allowing for a level of separation between the main bedroom and the children’s bedrooms. The renovation also included a new kitchen, with stone benches and timber veneer joinery along with a butler’s pantry. And with the opening to the north, there was also sufficient room to provide a dining area. On the first floor, the three bedrooms including the main bedroom, were reworked to include ensuites. The daughter’s bedroom, for example, includes a new ensuite, concealed behind timber battens expressed on the façade. She also benefits from a new window that overlooks the void, borrowing light and ventilation.

Although this appears to be a substantial extension, in reality it’s only approximately 70 square metres, with the prominent addition being the new double-height living area. The other addition was a double carport at the front, now framed by a timber-battened sliding door that also provides access to the rear garden and a granite stone wall that delineates the sequence of arrival. And what was a rambling mixture of styles and rooms is now a spacious contemporary home that responds to its site and enjoys dappled northern light. Words: Stephen Crafti.

Builder: Skope Construction

Structural: Chris Bratby Consulting

Tilt-up Door: Monarch Renlita