The brief was to design and document a residential extension for a young family of three, enhancing the home’s functional capacity while maintaining a clear hierarchy between public living spaces and more private, purpose-built rooms.
Our proposal extends the built form from the existing alfresco footprint, creating a two-level addition that is legible as a contemporary intervention while remaining sympathetic to the original dwelling. At ground level, the extension accommodates a dedicated piano room—conceived as a quiet, acoustically considered space with a strong relationship to the garden and adjacent living areas. Above, a new study/home office is positioned as a retreat for focused work.
A key architectural move is the introduction of a semi-detached upper volume, separated from the existing house by an open balcony void. This intermediate outdoor space operates as a transitional threshold—bringing daylight and cross-ventilation deep into the plan, providing visual permeability, and establishing a subtle sense of separation without fully disconnecting the new program from the main residence. The balcony also creates a layered façade condition and a refined junction between old and new.
While the project was unfortunately paused due to the clients relocating to another suburb, we are sharing the scheme as it remains a strong example of a modest-scale extension driven by clear planning logic, spatial sequencing, and passive design principles.
