The greatest challenge in this renovation/extension was getting desirable north solar access as there was a party wall on the north boundary. Through a comprehensive range of sustainability measures including a new rear two storey extension the energy performance of the house was improved from 1.7 to 6.2 stars.

The stairs to the second level had to be as narrow as possible, which meant the balustrade had to be very thin. The translucent fluted polycarbonate layer is filled with beads to add a hint of colour.