Third Generation House

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The reinvention of an inner-city home that has been in the same family for three generations. Our client’s grandparents originally owned the property after purchasing it sometime after emigrating to Australia while our client grew up in the house next door, a family compound was created across two properties housing three generations of the same family. The original home then stayed in the family and was passed down until our client became the sole owner and dedicated himself to creating a family home for himself that will last the next three generations. The home is located within a heritage overlay intended to protect the existing intact character of the street and ensuring that no new extensions are visible from the front. We embraced the spirit of this intent and went to great lengths to not only renovate but also to restore the original character and material palette of the original Edwardian villa. To the rear of the property however there is a markedly different context to that of the street. The back of the site is bordered by a wide bluestone laneway and connects visually to surrounding tree canopies and sawtooth, red brick industrial buildings. The addition of a living pavilion extends the house through to the rear laneway while opening up along the long edge of the site to the north and an introduced garden. This rear addition takes its formal and material ques from the red brick and sawtooth roof forms found in the industrial buildings that it looks out onto. The north elevation of the living pavilion is dominated by oversized timber sliding doors that create a generous connection between the living spaces and the garden. The exposed timber rafters, red brick walls and black ceiling finish further blur the separation between interior living spaces and garden enclosure.

The reinvention of an inner-city home that has been in the same family for three generations. Read more

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MRTN Architects

A heritage-inspired renovation of a family home, blending original Edwardian character with a contemporary living pavilion, seamlessly connecting to a lush garden and the surrounding urban landscape.

The reinvention of an inner-city home that has been in the same family for three generations.

Our client’s grandparents originally owned the property after purchasing it sometime after emigrating to Australia while our client grew up in the house next door, a family compound was created across two properties housing three generations of the same family. The original home then stayed in the family and was passed down until our client became the sole owner and dedicated himself to creating a family home for himself that will last the next three generations.

The home is located within a heritage overlay intended to protect the existing intact character of the street and ensuring that no new extensions are visible from the front. We embraced the spirit of this intent and went to great lengths to not only renovate but also to restore the original character and material palette of the original Edwardian villa.

To the rear of the property however there is a markedly different context to that of the street. The back of the site is bordered by a wide bluestone laneway and connects visually to surrounding tree canopies and sawtooth, red brick industrial buildings.

The addition of a living pavilion extends the house through to the rear laneway while opening up along the long edge of the site to the north and an introduced garden. This rear addition takes its formal and material ques from the red brick and sawtooth roof forms found in the industrial buildings that it looks out onto.

The north elevation of the living pavilion is dominated by oversized timber sliding doors that create a generous connection between the living spaces and the garden. The exposed timber rafters, red brick walls and black ceiling finish further blur the separation between interior living spaces and garden enclosure.

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“We’re looking for a result that is practical, aesthetically pleasing and distinctive. As we had carefully selected a site with unusual features, we sought a design that would draw them out. We’ve been delighted by Antony’s capacity to do exactly that, while keeping us closely involved in the process. We were thrilled with the final design. We also hope that our architect would shield us from the project management process while respecting our budget and keeping us in the loop. Antony managed town planning and then the selection of the contractor very well, ensuring both quality and realistic pricing. We are now half-way through the build and are very pleased to see that the process is working smoothly due, to a large extent, by his skill in communicating with both the builder and ourselves. At the practical level, we sought an architect who was experienced in building for the conditions on the coast, who was linked to local contractors, knew the local planning and building scene, and understood the local community and the rhythm of coastal life. We wanted a small firm where the principal was hands-on in both design development and the management of the project. We were also pleased to find in Antony someone whose professional work had been shaped by working in a large, disciplined firm in Australia and also in the tough New York apartment market, with its notoriously demanding clients. We were attracted by his success in bringing an international design perspective to the Australian context, demonstrated by the recognition he has won from his profession. We recognise that designing and building a home is an intensely personal project requiring an architect to add the skill of mind-reading to his or her repertoire. Antony has demonstrated that he has this skill and, with his excellent team, has been a delight to work with. He understands our own golden rule of ‘no surprises' and has been graciously accepting of our particular idiosyncrasies. Construction of our house is now entering its final phase and, thanks to Antony’s work, we’re looking forward to a very pleasing result.”

Nick and Jane, clients of the Hide House in Venus Bay