Coogee House is a considered transformation of a modest Californian bungalow, where the original street-facing home is retained while a contemporary family extension is introduced to the rear.

The project establishes a clear distinction between old and new. The front remains calm and grounded within the streetscape, while the rear opens into a light-filled, highly functional living environment designed for modern family life. Responding to the site’s slope was central to the design, with new spaces carefully integrated across multiple levels to create a cohesive and resolved layout.

A lightweight timber structure defines the extension, contrasting with the solidity of the original house while maintaining alignment and continuity. Below, a concrete garage is discreetly embedded into the site, allowing service spaces to be absorbed into the landscape without disrupting the overall composition.

Recycled timber plays a key role throughout, used across joinery, custom furniture and external cladding to introduce warmth and texture. Large glazed openings connect interior spaces to the garden, enhancing natural light and reinforcing the indoor–outdoor relationship.

Delivered through close collaboration between client, architect and builder, the project reflects a disciplined construction approach where structural complexity, site conditions and detailing were resolved with precision.

The result is a cohesive family home that balances heritage character with contemporary living — a measured evolution defined by clarity, craftsmanship and material integrity.