Houzz Tour: Reno Raises House Up and Out of Harm's Way
Lifting a home above the flood levels was just what this Brisbane abode needed to future-proof a family nest
Joanna Tovia
17 January 2019
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well. Follow her photodocumentary about pets and the people who love them on Instagram @unfoldingtails
Houzz editorial team. Photojournalist specialising in design, travel and living well.... More
The owner of this home and her family were living overseas when widespread flooding turned much of Queensland into a disaster zone in 2011. They watched anxiously on the TV news as waters rose and home after home went under. Their tenanted, inner-city Brisbane house located in the low-lying, flood-prone area of Rosalie, was one of them.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A recruitment professional, her two children aged six and nine, and their cavoodle, Peppa
Location: Rosalie, Queensland
Size: Approximately 200 square metres with five bedrooms and two bathrooms on a 405-square-metre block
Architecture and interior design: Arcke
Builder: P & R Lee Builders
Since 2011, tight building controls have been introduced in flood-prone areas. In Brisbane, regulations require a minimum height for homes’ habitable areas (such as bedrooms and living rooms) and other restrictions apply for non-habitable areas (even laundries and car ports).
Arcke architectural firm was hired to turn this modest weatherboard house into a welcoming family home with separate kids’, parents’ and living zones, parking for at least two cars, and a pool. In doing so, the architects had to meet flooding, character and small-lot overlays and that meant lifting the entire home higher off the ground by just over a metre.
Who lives here: A recruitment professional, her two children aged six and nine, and their cavoodle, Peppa
Location: Rosalie, Queensland
Size: Approximately 200 square metres with five bedrooms and two bathrooms on a 405-square-metre block
Architecture and interior design: Arcke
Builder: P & R Lee Builders
Since 2011, tight building controls have been introduced in flood-prone areas. In Brisbane, regulations require a minimum height for homes’ habitable areas (such as bedrooms and living rooms) and other restrictions apply for non-habitable areas (even laundries and car ports).
Arcke architectural firm was hired to turn this modest weatherboard house into a welcoming family home with separate kids’, parents’ and living zones, parking for at least two cars, and a pool. In doing so, the architects had to meet flooding, character and small-lot overlays and that meant lifting the entire home higher off the ground by just over a metre.
Before Photo
The unrenovated house (behind the tree) during the 2011 floods
Although the home had been patched up to repair waterlogged plasterboard and other flood damage, when the family moved back to Brisbane in 2016, a more extensive renovation was needed for it to truly become somewhere they wanted to call home.
Although the home had been patched up to repair waterlogged plasterboard and other flood damage, when the family moved back to Brisbane in 2016, a more extensive renovation was needed for it to truly become somewhere they wanted to call home.
Once the house had been raised to meet regulations, the architects set about minimising the visual impact from the street. Architect Matthew Kennedy at Arcke receded the new stairwell within the existing front verandah and positioned car parking under the gabled front of the house. He also broke up the appearance of the building’s entrance and driveway with brick paving and exposed aggregate.
The existing house was lifted almost a metre from its original position and extended to the rear. A galley kitchen and integrated stairs serve as a bridge between the old and new, and facilitate an internal north-facing courtyard at ground level.
The existing house was lifted almost a metre from its original position and extended to the rear. A galley kitchen and integrated stairs serve as a bridge between the old and new, and facilitate an internal north-facing courtyard at ground level.
The architects sought to preserve the existing building’s character and reinterpret traditional elements in a contemporary context. Lightweight, sustainable and affordable materials were chosen to complement the original house. The flexible internal layout gives the family the opportunity to adapt how the home is used as the children get older or other needs change in the future.
“It was a modest budget for the size and scale of the intervention,” says Kennedy. “Clever design decisions had to be made to maximise the budget.”
“It was a modest budget for the size and scale of the intervention,” says Kennedy. “Clever design decisions had to be made to maximise the budget.”
The rear extension houses the living area and parents’ retreat above. “Unlike concrete, steel, brick and stone conventions of the Australian southern states, the external timber palette is embedded in the uniqueness of a Queenslander and its construction typography,” says Kennedy. “When we are commissioned to update homes, we look at the structure carefully and take references from their original materials. In this case, introducing expressed timbers as battens, shiplap teak cladding, and some well-placed brick capping and seating keeps the house grounded.”
The family wanted their home to have a green outlook and an easy connection with the outdoors, but the long block sits at the bottom of a gully and has five neighbours – three neighbours to the right-hand side, one at the back, and another to the left – so privacy was a major consideration. Operable facades and sliding shutters allow the family to control the views and maintain privacy.
Wilfred couch and Harvest chair: Jardan; coffee table: Plyroom
Wilfred couch and Harvest chair: Jardan; coffee table: Plyroom
The climate also had to be taken into account. Shading from the western sun (at the back of the house) prompted the deck to be positioned on the northern side, and timber-slatted screens were used in the living room to shield the interiors on hot summer afternoons.
The home is well ventilated and filled with natural light, and the correct position of openings (to bring in the breezes) means air-conditioning is rarely required.
Barbecue: Ilve
The home is well ventilated and filled with natural light, and the correct position of openings (to bring in the breezes) means air-conditioning is rarely required.
Barbecue: Ilve
Although there’s the option to dine indoors, for nine to 10 months of the year the weather is balmy enough for the family to eat out on the covered deck. It’s also an ideal space for entertaining.
“With young children and a social lifestyle, the home suits the family very well,” says Kennedy. “The open-plan living pavilion allows an intimate engagement with the elevated pool, garden and lawn to the rear.”
“With young children and a social lifestyle, the home suits the family very well,” says Kennedy. “The open-plan living pavilion allows an intimate engagement with the elevated pool, garden and lawn to the rear.”
The pool and lawn areas make up an elevated ‘plinth’ that grounds the new extension and creates that indoor-outdoor flow the family wanted.
Council regulations mandate that only non-habitable areas be at ground level. Stairs hidden behind a timber-batten screen lead up to the main living level of the home.
With the original house lifted above flood levels and extended to the rear, a galley kitchen and integrated stairs bridge the old and new sections of the home. The new rear extension houses the living area and parents’ retreat upstairs.
A nook off the kitchen is a cosy spot for the family to dine. The moveable timber screens bring playful patterns of light and shadow into the home, as well as keeping the heat at bay when and where it matters.
“A variety of scaled spaces that enable retreat or broader engagement with others cater to all family members and guests,” says Kennedy of the differently sized living zones.
“A variety of scaled spaces that enable retreat or broader engagement with others cater to all family members and guests,” says Kennedy of the differently sized living zones.
In the kitchen, living, dining area and bedrooms, timber doors and windows complement birch plywood cabinetry with recycled Australian hardwood stools.
“We chose engineered oak floors in a darker colour to offer a counterpoint to the golden hues of the plywood ceiling panels and cabinetry,” says Kennedy.
Kav Ceramic Pendants: Dezion Design; downlight: Brightgreen; benchtop: Caesarstone; tapware: Astra Walker; appliances: Asko
“We chose engineered oak floors in a darker colour to offer a counterpoint to the golden hues of the plywood ceiling panels and cabinetry,” says Kennedy.
Kav Ceramic Pendants: Dezion Design; downlight: Brightgreen; benchtop: Caesarstone; tapware: Astra Walker; appliances: Asko
The new galley kitchen is a vast improvement on the old. As with most Brisbane worker’s cottages, the bedrooms were in the front of the house and the old kitchen was a small, west-facing room tacked onto the back verandah with a sloping ceiling.
The feature wall at the bottom of the stairs that lead up to the parents’ retreat is comprised of individually screen-printed plywood ‘tiles’ that mimic a fabric design by Georgina Mackenzie-Forbes, a local Brisbane artist and family friend.
“The bench seat is a bonus breakout space that functions as a seating, relaxing and reclining spot for family and guests to engage with the cook at that end of the kitchen,” says Kennedy. “The other end of the kitchen wraps around to the deck and barbecue area for seamless entertaining.”
The carport and laundry are the only areas allowed at ground level, and even then there are restrictions to adhere to.
The original cottage (to the right) contains the children’s bedrooms, study and playroom – flexible spaces that can be adapted to other uses over time. The kitchen and stairs bridge the old cottage and the new addition.
The upper level contains the master suite and private deck.
The north-west elevation shows how the design manages to elevate the habitable areas of the home to meet regulations without the home appearing to be on stilts.
The children’s bathroom on the first level features the same birch-plywood cabinetry as seen in the kitchen and living/dining area.
The children’s playroom is located in one of the front rooms of the original cottage. “With a relatively compact floor plan, storage was a major concern,” says Kennedy. “Also as the lower level is vulnerable to flooding, everything of value needed to be upstairs. We essentially did an inventory of our client’s personal effects. Practical storage requirements are addressed in bespoke cabinetry, ensuring a place for everything.”
The master bedroom is a serene and private haven with a leafy outlook.
Again, moveable timber-batten screens feature in the upstairs bedroom.
The master suit looks down over the new pool and deck.
Louvred windows throughout the home facilitate airflow and reduce the need for air-conditioning.
Tapware: Astra Walker; Vogue Ceramica tiles: Classic Ceramics;
vanity: Duravit
Tell us
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More
If you like this home, you’ll love last week’s Spanish Houzz Tour: Slow Design Defines a Holiday Home
Tapware: Astra Walker; Vogue Ceramica tiles: Classic Ceramics;
vanity: Duravit
Tell us
What do you like about this renovation? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images and join the conversation.
More
If you like this home, you’ll love last week’s Spanish Houzz Tour: Slow Design Defines a Holiday Home
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Nice Job
The space below the raised houses can be turned into living space easily.
They have been doing it in New Orleans for years.
Hello! The house faired really well during the 2022 floods. The water came into the garage level, stairs and laundry, but due to the open, hardwood timber slats combined with concrete and brick, the structure didn't require any remedial work. Just a good clean. Powerpoints and lighting was also high up, so that made a difference too. There was still damage to goods, but not to the house.
Sounds like you well prepared