The brief – We’d like a lift to connect the existing below ground garage to the inside of our 1920s Arts and Crafts home. Oh, and can we include a study, library and teenage retreat too?

The result – A tall, three level column amplifies its economical 44sqm footprint by positioning one room on each floor. The teen-cave retreat is set below ground with an adjoining open-to-the-sky courtyard lined in glossy pale green tiles, which project light and a subtle sense of movement across the subterranean space. There’s an airy library at entry level and up top, a study sluiced with light.

Personal highlights? It’s all about the texture. From the watery shimmer of the tiles in the sunken courtyard to the concrete ceiling imprinted with rough sawn Oregon timber grain and the hand-troweled concrete floors, this studious escape is a considered exercise in the warmth and richness of tactile surfaces.

We also love the perception of seamlessness created by the black-framed windows and bi-fold doors, which link the house to the garden by creating a series of spaces, which feel like outdoor rooms.

Photography: Benjamin Hosking