Penshurst Avenue House

Brief

The Penshurst Avenue House required a complete external and internal renovation of mid-20th century cottage located in a richly varied conservation area of lower north Sydney. The existing house exhibited a poor use of existing space and no connection to its site and as such the brief was to alter the house in a way that respected the era in which it was built, while enhancing contemporary living. On a tight and difficult site, the project was to be necessarily rigorous, but still maintain flexibility for the owners - a growing family with two young boys.

Solution

The solution was to rework the interior planning to create a variety and layering of internal and external spaces. A reconfiguration of the existing plan enabled the creation of an expansive and north-east facing open living area, a guest bedroom, and an ensuite and a walk in wardrobe to the main bedroom. The renovation also saw the addition of a rooftop terrace, which is a space that creates a private retreat for the occupants to enjoy and answers to the modern-day request for a seamless transition of interior and exterior living.

As the house is situated in an area that is encompassed by strict heritage restrictions, the project involved very little alteration to the existing building envelope, materiality and colour were at the forefront of enhancing the house's connection to its place. This required a deft handling of the Council's preferred heritage colours when rendering and painting the existing raw brickwork.