Our clients approached us seeking to add value to their property by way of a renovation & extension of an existing pre-1911 cottage on a 405sqm site in the inner city.
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The home includes a secure double garage with flexibility for another 2 cars in the driveway for visitors. The main living, dining, kitchen & outdoor room, laundry & a guest powder room occupy the lower level. The upper level incorporates 4 bedrooms & 2 bathrooms with a flexible room for a home office.​
Design ideas for how we approached emphasising key materials for the project.
The floor tile wraps up the wall to form a datum line on the wall & wrapping the interior.
A day bed recessed into the courtyard offers a space for informal seating within the home.
The existing pre-1911 cottage is proposed to be raised with a new extension built below it & to the rear.
One of the challenges of the site is the flood constraints, the floor level is elevated 1.5m above natural ground to allow water to pass through in the event of a flood.
The light court is visible from the entry, with views through the home.
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The stair is oriented to the courtyard so it is viewed when moving between the lower & upper level of the house.
The light court filters through onto an interior that is deliberately rich in colour & texture. A skylight has been incorporated to allow changing light to filter through during the day.
Timber paneling sits above the datum line to wrap the interior of the entry.
The timber window frames have been designed to give the home a natural, warm feel.
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Louvre windows provide natural ventilation in the warmer months.
The recessed light court allows light deep into the home, integrating a tree into the court helps to create shade & privacy.
The ceiling over the dining space is higher, dramatic & incorporates a skylight to bring light onto an art wall.
The dining space leads onto an outdoor room, a matching floor finish gives an indoor-outdoor feel.
The timber sliding windows open up to allow the living and outdoor room to feel like one open space.
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A breezeblock screen to the outdoor room provides light & shadow as well as privacy to views from neighbours.
Like the rest of the house, the kitchen is textured. It has been positioned in the floor plan at the centre of the ground floor extension.
The rear of the house incorporates a pool & a yard space. The architecture has been designed to provide shade, timber highlights to the ceiling & to frame the view to the backyard.
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What our clients are saying...
Len & Stacey
Our clients for Lower Bowen House
"After some time searching for an Architect that understood our vision for our bespoke New Farm development, we decided to work with Folar Studio for our initial concepts.
We have found FOLAR to be very professional and informative for our consultations, & as our project is a major renovation, we have been very impressed with James and his team on presenting us with several design options, for the unique combination of a 1925 home and a 1950's brick building at the rear of our property".
The house has been designed to sit prominently on its site.