In making alterations and additions for a family of five, we focused on creating a series of outdoor rooms that guide the organisation of the house itself. Our initial design move was to reverse the usual figure–ground relationship, treating the garden as the primary ordering device and allowing the new architecture to grow around it.

The project is defined by these layered connections to landscape—front, back and through the centre of the plan—supported by a robust palette of white painted brick, concrete and natural timber. Tactile detailing and careful openings frame views, invite breezes and create moments of quiet retreat.

The final composition of old and new offers the family the best of both worlds: a flexible, contemporary home that retains the character of the original cottage and the neighbourhood. By prioritising garden spaces over internal expansion, the project resists the tendency toward ever-larger houses on smaller blocks. Instead, it privileges the experience of space—light, breeze, shade, and the presence of planting—as the essential architectural luxury.