New Town Living House is a renovation for a family looking to gain living space, and connection to the outdoors.

The house is located on a narrow leafy street in Sydney’s Inner West, within a neighbourhood of terrace houses and small cottages.  The existing house is one half of a house – a semi-detached dwelling with a sandstone facade.  Changes to the house over its life had resulted in an impractical collection of spaces.  The living space was sandwiched in the dark centre of the house in a narrow thoroughfare, and no easy access or view through to the peaceful and green rear yard.  Four bedrooms shared one bathroom which was located at the opposite end of the house accessed through the living areas.   

Together with the owner, we explored a number of design options to create a solution which worked the best for the site, and also for family living. The brief for the new living space was to create a relaxed zone which connected through to the garden, as well as a break away area where teenagers could hang out with their friends while still being a part of family life.

The street frontage of the house was refreshed, and a beautiful frangipani from the rear yard was carefully transplanted into the front garden.  Entry to the house remains via a generous hallway leading through to the rear of the house. 

The first room at the front of the house with its doors onto the front verandah was established as the master bedroom, with the adjacent bedroom becoming a walk-in robe and ensuite. Off the main hallway we retained the second bedroom, and added a combined laundry and bathroom. 

As you follow the hallway towards the back of the house a new window at the landing gives the first glimpse through to the garden beyond, creating a delineation between the old and the new.  Turning to the right, and two steps down, the floor changes from the original uneven characterful floorboards to a contemporary polished concrete. 

The new living spaces of the house are bright and airy, with windows along the northern edge of the house that admit warming sunlight in winter, and cooling breezes in summer.  The kitchen divides the teen lounge area from the main dining and living spaces.  A staircase tucked behind the kitchen leads up to a further two bedrooms and bathroom.  The material palette of the new living spaces is rugged and modern, with concrete flooring, stainless steel, stone, and blackbutt timber finishes.  A higher raked ceiling defines the living zone, and opens the space to the outdoors. 

The new extension to the house is constructed as a simple lightweight addition, clad in fibre cement and corten steel, a material which gives a beautiful patina as it ages.  Fibre cement battens are used in a playful way giving a contemporary rhythm to the exterior. 

New Town Living House brings into practice a number of humble passive principles of sustainable design.  Spaces open to the north, permitting sunlight in during winter, warming the thermal mass of the concrete floor.  Then, during summer the openings are shaded by eaves and hoods, keeping the interiors cool.  The north-eastern corner of the living room opens fully with sliding doors, admitting the Sydney afternoon breeze into the house.  Active sustainability measures include solar panels located on the new roofs, and ceiling fans within all bedrooms and living spaces.