The owners loved their inner-city brick cottage but were looking for more living space and a connection to the back garden, not to mention a new kitchen to replace the old timber lean-to.

They were not comfortable with the sleek finish of the initial extension design, prompting a move to face brickwork. However this is a very contemporary interpretation of brickwork, with deep, brick-lined reveals allowing fully-folding doors to address lawn and a paved area. The reveal depth also affords sun and rain protection, while retaining the indoor-outdoor feeling.

The architect recommended not matching the existing dark red bricks, instead nominating Austral Bricks™ Bowral® Blue dry-pressed bricks laid in a white mortar. Despite initial concern from the owners about the colour difference, it was quickly evident that the new brickwork complemented the old and the two colours work well together.

This innovative extension won the Alterations and Extensions category in the AIA NSW Architecture Awards.