Elwood 1 is a light-filled extension to an existing Californian bungalow on a tight urban site. The project focuses on a zoned approach which allows the parents and children to live both independently and connectedly. The double storey addition is tucked behind the original gabled roof with a form that echoes the existing silhouette. The key living spaces directly interface with a generous landscaped courtyard, emphasising a natural connection with large timber threshold openings.

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The South Melbourne project is a commercial revitalisation of the historic ES&A Bank on Clarendon St. The proposed contemporary addition seeks to backdrop the gothic revival bank, acting as a silver screen for the heritage building. The development is anchored by a circulation core that wedges between the old and new, with the patterned facade highlighted by a streetscape canopy and viewing occulus. 

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Footscray I explores craft and economy in a two storey rear addition to an existing dwelling. Our strategy was to split the zoning of the existing/new and reintroduce cross ventilation and sunlight into the existing footprint. The existing dwelling was defined as the quiet living wing and the new extension as an active and robust space that engages directly with the backyard. The new living space centers around a combined dining table/kitchen bench characterised by a herringbone timber benchtop. An exposed hardwood post & beam structural system extends in sequence through the plan, ordering the interior living spaces and creating a visual continuity throughout the dwelling.

Hawthorn I is an exercise in backyard optimisation. An assortment of familiar domestic elements both constructed and grown are merged into a cohesive and practical assembly. By re-imagining studio, utility shed and swimming pool as back fence, the resulting enveloped garden takes precedent over an arrangement of individual forms. One continuous element mediates the practicalities of entry and exit, work and play and connection and retreat. A singular ribbon provides a consistent backdrop for the garden whilst offering security, utility and generosity by means of a North facing loft that filters light deep into the footprint of the studio.

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Yarraville I is a comprehensive interior renovation to an existing double fronted brick dwelling. As much subtraction as addition, the fundamental modifications sought to re-vitalise the charming elements of the existing dwelling that lie hidden and obscured by previous renovations. Primary living spaces were re-introduced centrally into a once congested and obstructive arrangement. Direct connection to the backyard is established while discrete connections to surrounding rooms offer areas of retreat in an active family home.

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Flinders I seeks to explore craft and ingenuity within the extensive renovation to an existing dwelling on the Mornington Peninsula. Living spaces throughout are characterised with generous use of timber and raking ceilings that float above the unmistakable presence of a post & beam structural system. These timber structural elements extend in sequence through the plan capturing exterior and interior living spaces and creating a visual continuity throughout the dwelling.

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Working with narrow site constraints in the inner-urban suburb of Thornbury, these extensive modifications sought to introduce bright, comfortable and highly functional spaces, each with an aspect to external garden space. The new addition adopts the formal characteristics of the modest lean-to yet contributes a moment of spatial generosity and opportunity to capture northern light. Bright & textured tones of the internal material palette underlie intimate moments close to the garden whilst polycarbonate fins capture and diffuse northern light down into a highly functional kitchen for clients that love to cook.

Situated on 17 acres atop rolling hills between Port Philip Bay and Westernport, Merricks I is a comprehensive renovation to an existing family home. The project is defined by a restrained and robust material palette and a suite of functional additions purposefully connected with the surrounding landscape, both immediate and distant. Great effort was taken to celebrate the charming characteristics of the existing structure whilst re-working the existing footprint to function as a home for two with generous living spaces and a separate wing for extended family visits. 

The existing planning of this Albert park residence resulted in an external space too narrow to function properly, The renovation involved a rearrangement of the original plan and the addition of a modest living space at the rear of the house forming a U-shaped plan adding a courtyard.  The extension employs an exposed truss roof that invites morning light into the living areas and a secluded daybed with visual connection to the garden, providing a personal and reflective retreat.

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A sleep out for visiting guests within an existing machinery shed, Shoreham III examines the essentials of occupation, and prioritises engagement and connection over privacy and bigness. A new glazed facade hinges back from the eaves to create a deep verandah space. Three sleep nooks have been inserted, each opening out to corner views of the landscape; intimate and connected simultaneously.

As an extension to an existing timber farmhouse on the Mornington Peninsula, this design seeks to enhance external views and increase guest accommodation.  Focused towards the dominant southern views, the guest rooms form a wedge grafted onto the existing building, connected yet able to become closed off and independent. Simple materials have been applied with a modest language engaging with the rural environment.

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This timber Californian bungalow in Thornbury needed an addition to accommodate a new family member. With a modest budget and short time-frame the solution was to fabricate a simple skeleton frame offsite, oriented to allow maximum north light into a south facing block. This allowed for the creation of three courtyard spaces, each individually programmed. A library link and reading nook bind the spaces together, celebrating the client’s love of books.

A micro-addition to a semi-detached red brick Edwardian residence, the new lean-to skews space verticality, enhancing connection to the backyard and privileging northern light. The new kitchen mirrors the existing roofline and creates an informal living space encouraging interaction between internal and external environments.

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This renovation of a studio in the Cairo apartment block seeks to explore the idea of a ‘minimum’ flat for urban living. The character of the modifications and integrated furniture express a domestic utility without eliminating opportunities for discovery and delight in the form of a crafted tool chest in which to sleep, eat and wash.

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A set of three townhouses is proposed for this corner site on the Bellarine peninsula. Each townhouse is articulated around a private courtyard space. A flexible plan arrangement allows for a variety of users to use the spaces, from couples on the weekend to large family gatherings. A stacked palette of three material finishes gives the project a textural stratification and breaks down the mass of the forms.

This suite of 82 villas is proposed as part of a large scale development for a site outside Apollo Bay. The scheme allows the undulating qualities of the landscape to drive a nested arrangement of villas. Each cluster of villas is centered around a service and parking courtyard, with the living and outdoor spaces facing out to views of the ocean and landscape. Three versions of the villa were developed as a modular system that can be nested together in a language of rural materials and vernacular types.

This original double storey terrace in Fitzroy required better access to light and improved amenity in the living spaces. The ground floor was renovated to include a new kitchen, bathroom, and living areas. Light from the east facing back yard was augmented in the living areas by the use of a light, reflective material palette.

Within the red brick Foy & Gibson building, this warehouse apartment is divided into two, forming an inner city base for a couple and guest.  The central service block divides living and private spaces whilst allowing for continuous flowing space and carefully curated openings. The plywood box with translucent top forms a simple backdrop for living.