Westbourne Cottage.

A Victorian single-fronted cottage, this modest family home is sited in the heart of Hawksburn Village. This dense pocket of the inner city provides a plethora of opportunities for families to breathe new life into the little row houses, set out in uniform, verdant streets. Predictably the design hinges on demolishing the rear half of this house, preserving and renewing the quaint façade and front rooms. The larger, newer extension is a much more abstract and sculptural form that is crisp, but not cold and addresses the laneway with a private yet friendly timber façade.

Using timber battens to create the angled fascia, the light plays on the two planes, and for a second tricks the eye. Timber used in this abstract way together with the glass at ground level, is an appropriate link to the original materials of the house and while the aesthetic is contemporary it still retains a softness. Practically, the expanded floor plan has allowed for a ubiquitous open kitchen and living area, opening to a deck and plunge pool with added accommodation upstairs. A lot has been designed into this intimate site, creating a space which is versatile and dynamic, and is an expression of the clients’ eclectic individualism.

TeamSteve Woo, Kate Hatherley, Jessica Coulter, Domenic Cerantonio, Chris Stribley