architecture - interiors - sustainability
project: medium size terrace house renovation in Surry Hills
This project involved making significant changes to a beautiful terrace whereby the lovely big rooms at the front of the house remained intact while the kitchen and bathroom at the back were radically transformed into a wonderful contemporary space which seamlessly blends inside and outside. The car space was too valuable to let go and therefore we used subtle tricks to hide the car, such as a small change in level and a planter. Natural materials such as hardwood are repeated in built-in furniture, deck and cladding.
The car space is softened and cooled in summer by paving that includes areas of garden where steppables are planted. Sashless windows in the central courtyard draw the eye outside without obstruction. (To follow this project's progress, visit our blog and subscribe to our RSS feed.)
planning strategy
A planning strategy was devised and the badly located bathroom at the back of the house was moved into the centre of the house and the kitchen expanded to the boundary while leaving a little courtyard in the middle of the house. An outdoor room was created between the kitchen and courtyard using a hardwood structure and motor operated louvers which close when it rains to form a roof.
As is usual with our projects, special attention was paid to updating the technological systems in the house, such as lighting, power, switching, audio, back to base alarm, state of the art kitchen hard ware and appliances.
All of our projects are carefully specified so that hardware is good quality, work beautifully and last for 50 years instead of falling apart in two.
a commercial kitchen
A state of the art commercial kitchen was designed to be the new heart of the house and the exposed steel portal frame is celebrated by the use of the colour red.