Situated among rows of Victorian terraces at the Gowrie Street Heritage Conservation Area of the City of Sydney, this semi-detached terrace-house is brought to life once again, renovated inside out with the front façade carefully restored to its former Victorian glory. Internally, the design theme focuses on simple and functional spaces, executed with clean minimalist lines, and showcase the robust yet gentle character of timber. Choosing the right shade of timber is a delicate task. In this case an Australian hardwood timber, Tasmanian Oak, was chosen. Its blondish-pink shade and clean texture supports the feeling of light and space. Its vast presence in this home provides a relief from the busyness of city lifestyle, implementing biophilic design principles and high-quality details.

While dilapidated, this small two-storey brick residence (approx.85m2) had a characteristic metal roof front verandah and balcony. Although the building was renovated once in the mid-80s, its structure needed major repairs. The client’s brief was to create a high quality, well-sealed, well-insulated comfortable home; to restore the front façade to its former glory, to introduce a simple and modern design and to create a great flow throughout.

The client’s requirements were successfully achieved. Replicating the timber window and doors were an important work in maintaining the symmetry of this semi-detached terrace house. The verandah was tiled with the traditional tessellated tiles, the balcony was decorated with frieze and balustrade lacework, and to secure the property, a wrought-iron bars, fence and gate were installed.

Upon entering the house one will find the multipurpose room. This room is featured with acoustically absorbent ceiling and acoustically sealed bi-parting cavity doors that enable the occupants to use the room as a seating room, a study or a music practice room. When needed, a built-in wall-bed can be revealed making it a bedroom. The two bathrooms, both small yet spacious, provided with built-in vanity and mirrored cabinets. The top floor bathroom includes a bathtub while the ground floor bathroom has a standing shower.

Although the new addition was only in excess of 20m², the home feels larger than it really is, just like a Tardis. Three large skylights are located over the beautifully detailed timber stairs, along with an 8m linear skylight over in the living area, allowing natural light to filter through the house. The stairs are cleverly designed to wrap around and integrate with the kitchen, hiding away a laundry underneath. Splitting the ground floor to two levels and creating a vertical lightwell was a building design decision which made it feel large, open, and connected to the alfresco and the rear garden.

The rear garden with its curved design features citrus trees and Australian native planting softening the harsh rectangular shape of the site. Native turf was planted over reinforced grid to allow a car to park over it occasionally without destroying its root system.

The results showcase a high-quality, well-sealed, well-insulated, comfortable home, a building that will benefit its occupants for many years to come.