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Renovating
Something Old, Something New: A Unique Knockdown-Rebuild
Victorian in form at the front, contemporary at the rear – an inventive custom build for a strict, heritage area
In this Q&A series, we turn the spotlight on one thought-provoking renovation each week. Here, Danny Broe, architect and principal at Danny Broe Architect, reveals how he balanced strict heritage regulations with his client’s love of contemporary, industrial design to create a one-of-a-kind family home in two parts.
Did you use Houzz for this project?
We use Houzz for every client by creating an Ideabook and using it to share inspirational images with them. Houzz also allows the client to put together collections of images showing things they like.
Is a knockdown-rebuild right for you? Browse local architects on Houzz to find out
We use Houzz for every client by creating an Ideabook and using it to share inspirational images with them. Houzz also allows the client to put together collections of images showing things they like.
Is a knockdown-rebuild right for you? Browse local architects on Houzz to find out
The original facade
What was the original house like?
A freestanding Georgian double-fronted timber house built around 1900, with four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
It was one of the older houses in the street and predated the Federation houses nearby. Unfortunately, it had been altered beyond recognition and was dilapidated beyond repair.
What was the original house like?
A freestanding Georgian double-fronted timber house built around 1900, with four bedrooms and two bathrooms.
It was one of the older houses in the street and predated the Federation houses nearby. Unfortunately, it had been altered beyond recognition and was dilapidated beyond repair.
The original living room
What wasn’t working for the client about it?
The original house was dark, internalised and felt a little claustrophobic. The kitchen, dining and living rooms had low ceilings and the bathrooms were small and dated.
There was also no insulation, so the house felt cold in winter and hot in summer.
What wasn’t working for the client about it?
The original house was dark, internalised and felt a little claustrophobic. The kitchen, dining and living rooms had low ceilings and the bathrooms were small and dated.
There was also no insulation, so the house felt cold in winter and hot in summer.
A sketch of the original floor plan
Gained
This house is a knockdown-rebuild – a completely new house built in a strictly regulated heritage conservation area. The front half is Victorian in form with a tiled roof, bullnose verandah and double-face brick walls.
The rear half of the house has an unusual butterfly roof where the sides reach up towards the light. This design allows sun to enter the living room around the perimeter at all times of the day.
The house contains four bedrooms, a bathroom and a powder room.
Gained
This house is a knockdown-rebuild – a completely new house built in a strictly regulated heritage conservation area. The front half is Victorian in form with a tiled roof, bullnose verandah and double-face brick walls.
The rear half of the house has an unusual butterfly roof where the sides reach up towards the light. This design allows sun to enter the living room around the perimeter at all times of the day.
The house contains four bedrooms, a bathroom and a powder room.
The new floor plan
Brief
Brief
- Design a new forever home for a young family.
- The house needed to fit into the heritage nature of the street, but also be very contemporary.
- Incorporate four bedrooms, a bathroom, powder room, laundry, a large kitchen with a walk-in pantry, a study, wrap-around verandahs and a carport.
What were the client’s must-haves?
- A large open-plan kitchen/living/dining room with an industrial theme.
- Four bedrooms.
- Wrap-around verandahs.
- A traditional street facade.
- Bay window seats.
- High ceilings in the living room.
- A connection to the garden.
The butterfly roof in the contemporary section appears to reach up towards the light and its high clerestory windows fill the living room with sunlight throughout the day
How did the heritage restrictions affect the design?
How did the heritage restrictions affect the design?
- We had to convince the local council to allow us to demolish the existing house.
- The house had to fit into the heritage streetscape in terms of style, materials (red brick and tiles), window design, setback from the street and picket fence design.
- The rear section of the house, which was more contemporary, had to be hidden from the street.
- We were not allowed to design a garage or carport in front of the house, so this had to be at the side.
- We had to hide technology such as solar panels and the large water tank.
What was the budget?
Around $1 million.
Where did most of it go?
The budget was carefully managed and it was evenly distributed throughout the house.
However, the rear section was the most expensive due to the shape of the roof and the bay windows.
Around $1 million.
Where did most of it go?
The budget was carefully managed and it was evenly distributed throughout the house.
However, the rear section was the most expensive due to the shape of the roof and the bay windows.
We love the curvy kitchen island – tell us about it
We wanted the kitchen to be a sculptural series of objects rather than one homogeneous mass, so we incorporated several different colours, materials and shapes into it.
The curvy island bench was a fun and playful sculptural element.
We wanted the kitchen to be a sculptural series of objects rather than one homogeneous mass, so we incorporated several different colours, materials and shapes into it.
The curvy island bench was a fun and playful sculptural element.
Tell us about the courtyard
The home is overlooked by a two-storey neighbouring house so instead of a traditional backyard we designed a U-shape central courtyard. It is private and protected, but faces north to catch the sun.
The home is overlooked by a two-storey neighbouring house so instead of a traditional backyard we designed a U-shape central courtyard. It is private and protected, but faces north to catch the sun.
How do the heritage and contemporary parts of the house sit together?
The two parts contrast in:
The two parts contrast in:
- Architectural style and form.
- Roof shapes.
But there are connecting elements between the sections, including:
- White interior walls.
- External face brick.
Why do you think this house works so well now?
The open-plan kitchen, living room and dining rooms are open and light, and the bedrooms feel cosy.
The windows in the open-plan living area are carefully positioned to let in light and provide privacy from the neighbours. So it’s private but feels connected to nature.
The open-plan kitchen, living room and dining rooms are open and light, and the bedrooms feel cosy.
The windows in the open-plan living area are carefully positioned to let in light and provide privacy from the neighbours. So it’s private but feels connected to nature.
The house is comfortable and has a generous mix of storage options, including concealed storage and statement features, such as the feature bookshelf in the study.
What are the defining features of this house?
- Two opposite architectural designs that are carefully linked so they complement each other.
- A butterfly roof with high, clerestory windows that fill the home with light at all times of day.
- A bullnose verandah.
- A U-shape courtyard, which provides private outdoor space and plenty of sun thanks to its northerly orientation.
- Strategically placed living room windows that provide views to the garden and privacy from the neighbours.
- Striking, polished-concrete flooring.
What logistical challenges did you have to work around?
- The butterfly roof was very complex both in terms of its geometry and structure. We wanted it to appear light, which took a lot of thought and visual design tricks.
- Being a face-brick house it had to be built using the fixed dimension of a brick, so we worked with the builder to measure each part of the facade in equal brick lengths.
- We wanted the underside of the living room ceiling to feel sculptural, so we did not use any downlights. Instead we used LED strip lighting that shines light up to the ceiling to make it glow. This light had to be carefully installed with light baffles to prevent any glare from entering the room.
What are some of the design differences between and the Victorian-look and contemporary sections?
- The front-half construction is cavity brick using traditional dry-pressed bricks, a blackout timber floor, a terracotta tiled roof and a picket fence.
- The back half of the house has a polished-concrete slab floor and a metal roof.
- The bricks in the front section are traditionally laid (offset) while the ones at the back are stack bond (laid on top of each other in a straight line).
Tell us about the sustainability aspects
- The house has a 10,000-litre rainwater tank.
- There is a large installation of solar panels on the roof.
- The roof and windows were designed to block out the hot summer sun while allowing the nice winter sun to enter.
- It is well-insulated.
- Timber windows were used rather than aluminium, which require a huge amount of energy to produce.
Tell us about the window seats
Window seats provide intimate spaces within a large, high-ceilinged open-plan space. They also create architectural interest.
Window seats provide intimate spaces within a large, high-ceilinged open-plan space. They also create architectural interest.
Tell us about the home office
The study emerged due to the shape of the outside space and the need to provide privacy. We cut out a U-shape exterior space facing north, which in turn created a thin space that was perfect for a study. As a result, the study is separate to the open-plan space but still connected.
The study emerged due to the shape of the outside space and the need to provide privacy. We cut out a U-shape exterior space facing north, which in turn created a thin space that was perfect for a study. As a result, the study is separate to the open-plan space but still connected.
The client particularly wanted to include window seats in the new design. This one in the study can be accessed from both inside and out.
Interior fixtures and fittings:
- Premium Floors matt-finished spotted-gum flooring.
- Smartstone Gelsomino Santorini collection engineered stone to kitchen benchtop.
- Painted polyurethane to kitchen island.
- Navurban Byron Blackbutt veneer to kitchen joinery.
- Bisanna Tiles subway tiles to bathroom.
- Skheme Baton white matt and Baton black gloss rectangular tiles to powder room.
- Martec Albatross Large DC ceiling fan.
- ECC Astro lights.
Exterior fixtures and materials:
- Austral Bowral Brown dry-pressed bricks.
- Boral Roofing terracotta tiles to the roof in the front section of the house.
- Colorbond metal roof in Dulux Woodland Grey to the rear section.
- Airlite windows.
- Spotted-gum decking.
Paint colours:
- Dulux Oakbank (green) to the kitchen island facade.
- Dulux Snowy Mountains Half to most interior walls in the house.
- Dulux Namadji to window frames.
- Dulux Limed White to the bedrooms walls.
- Dulux Belly Fire to the front door.
The powder room
Your turn
What’s your favourite feature in this knockdown-rebuild? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Want to see more great architecture? Don’t miss This New Old House: A Drab Edwardian Terrace Gets a Deft Redesign
What’s your favourite feature in this knockdown-rebuild? Tell us in the Comments below, like this story, save the images for inspiration, and join the conversation.
More
Want to see more great architecture? Don’t miss This New Old House: A Drab Edwardian Terrace Gets a Deft Redesign
Answers by Danny Broe, architect and principal at Danny Broe Architect
Who lives here: A couple and their young daughter
Location: Chatswood, NSW
Size of the original house: 200 square metres
Size of the new house: 200 square metres (the layout was changed, not the size)
Bedrooms and bathrooms before works: Four bedrooms and two bathrooms
Bedrooms and bathrooms after works: Four bedrooms, a bathroom and a powder room
Principal architect: Danny Broe, principal at Danny Broe Architect
Project architect: Fahimah Badrulhisham at Danny Broe Architect
Interior designer: Alice Pamment at Danny Broe Architect
Builder: BIC Construction
Engineer: Hyten Engineering
Joiner: McGee Projects
Heritage Consultant: John Oultram Heritage and Design