AEA CONSTRUCTIONS

Summary

The original "heritage-listed" timber weatherboard cottage was built in 1905 in the Victorian Gothic style, and with its identical neighbour makes a valuable aesthetic contribution to the street scape. However, the rear of the house was a hotch­-potch of fibro additions of various ages, which detracted from the integrity of the original cottage.

The brief for this project was to provide a contemporary addition to the rear of the property that could open up to the garden and allow as much North light as possible, to enter the living area. The main challenge of this project was to retain and preserve the main section of the Victorian cottage whilst bringing the rest of the house into the 21st Century within the constraints of a tight budget.

The new living area, makes reference to the original cottage both in size and proportion, however has been designed and built to make the most of natural ventilation and light, using modern building materials.

The additions are separated from the original cottage by the new “amenities block”, which contains the laundry and bathroom. This part of the house acknowledges the old lean-to's that once housed these same functions, through the use of corrugated steel cladding to the external walls, and a flat roof. A small decked courtyard to the east of the amenities block also allows light and ventilation to enter the middle of the house, as well as providing a drying area and Japanese-style garden, which is the focal point for the dining area.

A clear external separation between old and new allows the original cottage to maintain its visual and cultural significance as a heritage building, while the new addition is clearly contemporary.

Although one of our company's smaller projects, on a particularly lean contract price, the end result was extremely satisfying and pleasing with the creation of a stunning quality residence blending Victorian heritage with today's contemporary design.

Photography: Marian Riabic