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Architecture
Tight Squeeze: A Genius Solution for a Narrow, Hemmed-In Site
Cunning space planning and a simple yet effective materials palette were the keys to making this skinny space work
In this Q&A series, we turn the spotlight on one thought-provoking renovation or redesign each week. Here, Damien Abicic, principal of architectural and building firm Pivot, reveals how he transformed a skinny and run-down one-bedroom, one-bathroom Victorian terrace in Sydney, NSW. The narrow home is now a show-stopping four-bedroom, four-bathroom family abode that successfully blends old with new.
The house before works
What was the house like originally?
A single-storey Victorian terrace with one bedroom, one bathroom and a small kitchen. There was a poorly built timber addition at the rear. The house was not in a good state and had been rented out for a low price prior to works commencing.
The house was hemmed in on both sides by two unrenovated terraces. The three houses were originally identical but various additions over the years – and the fact that this house has been restored as much as possible to its original state – meant they looked nothing like a set.
What was the house like originally?
A single-storey Victorian terrace with one bedroom, one bathroom and a small kitchen. There was a poorly built timber addition at the rear. The house was not in a good state and had been rented out for a low price prior to works commencing.
The house was hemmed in on both sides by two unrenovated terraces. The three houses were originally identical but various additions over the years – and the fact that this house has been restored as much as possible to its original state – meant they looked nothing like a set.
The house before works
How would you describe the area?
Semi-industrial. There are still functioning warehouses on the same street as this house.
Ready to take the plunge? Find a local architect on Houzz to help design your forever home
How would you describe the area?
Semi-industrial. There are still functioning warehouses on the same street as this house.
Ready to take the plunge? Find a local architect on Houzz to help design your forever home
The facade after works
Gained
Gained
- A new open-plan kitchen/living/dining area leading to an outdoor area on the ground floor.
- A new second storey to the main house containing two additional bedrooms and two bathrooms (one is an ensuite).
- The master bedroom now overlooks a small green roof, which is flanked on all sides by timber screening.
- A new garage with a self-contained studio above it. This has a kitchenette, bedroom/office space and a bathroom.
The house before works
The house before works
What wasn’t working for the clients about the original house?
Nothing was working for them. It was built in the early 1900s as, most likely, a worker’s cottage, and little had changed 100 years later.
It was in a very poor condition and functioned as a rough rental property with no original features.
What wasn’t working for the clients about the original house?
Nothing was working for them. It was built in the early 1900s as, most likely, a worker’s cottage, and little had changed 100 years later.
It was in a very poor condition and functioned as a rough rental property with no original features.
The new garage at the rear with a studio above
What was the client’s brief?
What was the client’s brief?
- The maximum number of bedrooms possible, all with dedicated bathrooms.
- Maximise outdoor and green space.
- A new garage and self-contained studio.
- Good acoustics between the bedrooms, as the owner intended to rent the property at some point.
A peek inside the new garage
What were their must-haves?
The client mainly needed us to meet the specs of the brief. Her outlook for the renovation was very practical and she was not interested in fussy detailing or finishes. Her must-haves included:
What were their must-haves?
The client mainly needed us to meet the specs of the brief. Her outlook for the renovation was very practical and she was not interested in fussy detailing or finishes. Her must-haves included:
- At least four bedrooms.
- An enclosed garage.
- As much open, green space as possible.
- A simple yet effective materials palette.
- Practical finishes.
The new ground-floor plan
What exactly did you do?
What exactly did you do?
- Demolished everything apart from the facade, which had to be retained for heritage purposes.
- Built an entirely new, two-storey house behind the original facade with an open-plan kitchen/living/dining room, three bedrooms and three bathrooms.
- Constructed a new, enclosed garage with a self-contained studio above it, housing a bathroom and kitchenette.
The new first-floor plan
The client mentioned acoustics between bedrooms – how did you deal with this?
None of the bedrooms in the new design were back-to-back so it wasn’t really an issue.
But in projects where acoustics are a concern, I’d generally construct walls from 45-millimetre-thick timber with sound-rated insulation and 20-millimetre plywood lining on each side.
The client mentioned acoustics between bedrooms – how did you deal with this?
None of the bedrooms in the new design were back-to-back so it wasn’t really an issue.
But in projects where acoustics are a concern, I’d generally construct walls from 45-millimetre-thick timber with sound-rated insulation and 20-millimetre plywood lining on each side.
What was the budget?
Approximately $600,000 to $650,000.
Where did most of it go?
Most of it was used up early in the build for demolition, setting up the site with accurate boundaries, and the preparation and pouring of the concrete slab.
Approximately $600,000 to $650,000.
Where did most of it go?
Most of it was used up early in the build for demolition, setting up the site with accurate boundaries, and the preparation and pouring of the concrete slab.
Tell us about the white textured walls
These are painted brick. We do the same thing with every project; when working in such narrow terraces it makes no sense to make the spaces narrower by adding new walls to hide the old ones – which are usually just dirty brick.
We clean the brick and paint the walls white to reflect more light around the spaces. The texture of the painted brick also works well against the clean and crisp joinery materials.
There is the option to leave the brick raw, but in narrow spaces such as these white always works better.
These are painted brick. We do the same thing with every project; when working in such narrow terraces it makes no sense to make the spaces narrower by adding new walls to hide the old ones – which are usually just dirty brick.
We clean the brick and paint the walls white to reflect more light around the spaces. The texture of the painted brick also works well against the clean and crisp joinery materials.
There is the option to leave the brick raw, but in narrow spaces such as these white always works better.
How much of a challenge was it designing a home on a narrow, hemmed-in site?
It wasn’t very different to several similar projects that we completed prior to this one. We mainly work on sites that range from 3.5 to 4.5 metres wide. In fact, this one was a bit more generous than we are used to, being closer to 4.5 metres wide.
In saying that, there were challenging issues early on with boundary encroachments from both neighbours. One neighbour had a garage structure 250 millimetres over the boundary, meaning that our rear studio could not be built as per the design.
On the other side, the neighbour had planted around 10 palm trees on the boundary line that had compromised the structure of the original house over the years. The roots caused cracks in the boundary wall, which we ended up having to knock down.
It wasn’t very different to several similar projects that we completed prior to this one. We mainly work on sites that range from 3.5 to 4.5 metres wide. In fact, this one was a bit more generous than we are used to, being closer to 4.5 metres wide.
In saying that, there were challenging issues early on with boundary encroachments from both neighbours. One neighbour had a garage structure 250 millimetres over the boundary, meaning that our rear studio could not be built as per the design.
On the other side, the neighbour had planted around 10 palm trees on the boundary line that had compromised the structure of the original house over the years. The roots caused cracks in the boundary wall, which we ended up having to knock down.
How did you solve these challenges?
By entering into practical and sensible discussions with both neighbours. While discussions were productive, the cost of fixing the encroachments were mainly paid for by my client, as the other solution (court and lawyers) would have been far more expensive and, more importantly, would have taken time and ultimately delayed works.
By entering into practical and sensible discussions with both neighbours. While discussions were productive, the cost of fixing the encroachments were mainly paid for by my client, as the other solution (court and lawyers) would have been far more expensive and, more importantly, would have taken time and ultimately delayed works.
Did you have face any other difficulties?
Considerable excavation was needed to get the ground to the level needed to make the building work. Over 15 tonnes of dirt were removed before formwork for the new building footprint could be established.
On top of that, both neighbouring properties were higher than our new slab levels so retaining walls were needed on both sides. As the project progressed, access into the neighbouring properties was also tricky, which slowed down progress.
Considerable excavation was needed to get the ground to the level needed to make the building work. Over 15 tonnes of dirt were removed before formwork for the new building footprint could be established.
On top of that, both neighbouring properties were higher than our new slab levels so retaining walls were needed on both sides. As the project progressed, access into the neighbouring properties was also tricky, which slowed down progress.
What did you achieve?
The new addition provides the client with a new house. The new works provide enough bedrooms and living spaces for a medium to large family and express a materials palette that is clean, crisp and contemporary.
Green space is incorporated in clever ways with planting, natural grass and a small green roof outside the master bedroom.
The studio above the garage (the fourth bedroom) can be self-contained with its own kitchen and ensuite.
The new addition provides the client with a new house. The new works provide enough bedrooms and living spaces for a medium to large family and express a materials palette that is clean, crisp and contemporary.
Green space is incorporated in clever ways with planting, natural grass and a small green roof outside the master bedroom.
The studio above the garage (the fourth bedroom) can be self-contained with its own kitchen and ensuite.
Tell us about the curved ceiling and joinery in the bedroom
The front bedrooms on the first floors in the houses we design are usually partly under the front roof pitch so the ceilings cannot be level for some part of the rooms. Whenever we have this scenario we curve the ceiling into the wall.
It looks fancy but it’s actually quicker, easier and cheaper to do than raking the ceiling to be plaster-set into the adjoining wall. As a result, the joinery then follows the curve of the ceiling.
The front bedrooms on the first floors in the houses we design are usually partly under the front roof pitch so the ceilings cannot be level for some part of the rooms. Whenever we have this scenario we curve the ceiling into the wall.
It looks fancy but it’s actually quicker, easier and cheaper to do than raking the ceiling to be plaster-set into the adjoining wall. As a result, the joinery then follows the curve of the ceiling.
Why do you think this house works so well?
It works well now due to the successful integration of materials and layout. The arrangement allows for four essentially self-contained bedrooms.
The design maximises living and outdoor spaces as allowed by the site constraints.
The palette is also simple yet effective.
It works well now due to the successful integration of materials and layout. The arrangement allows for four essentially self-contained bedrooms.
The design maximises living and outdoor spaces as allowed by the site constraints.
The palette is also simple yet effective.
Key features
- A simple and practical layout of bedrooms and living spaces.
- A self-contained studio (or bedroom number four) with rear lane access.
- The kitchen storage is cleverly integrated under the stairs.
- Large areas of timber cladding blur the distinction between inside and outside.
- Chic black plywood joinery and panelling throughout.
The downstairs bedroom in the main house can double as a second living area
The bathroom in the new studio above the garage
Interior materials palette
Interior materials palette
- All joinery crafted from DMK Forest Products black-laminate plywood.
- Corian benchtops and basins in Glacier White.
- Lighting from Beacon Lighting and About Space Lighting.
- Spotted-gum flooring and cladding.
- Hurford Hardwood stair treads.
The new studio can be used as a fourth bedroom or a home office
Your turn
Which feature of this home impresses you the most? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great renovations? Don’t miss Goodbye Poky Californian Bungalow, Hello High-Tech Eco Home
Your turn
Which feature of this home impresses you the most? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Craving more great renovations? Don’t miss Goodbye Poky Californian Bungalow, Hello High-Tech Eco Home
Answers by Damien Abicic, principal of architectural and building firm Pivot
Who lives here: A family of four
Location: Alexandria, NSW
Size of the original house: 65 square metres
Size of the new house: 92 square metres plus a new garage with a studio above it measuring 37 square metres
Architect: Damien Abicic at Pivot
Builder: Pivot