Whitehaven Residence

This structurally sound building on a sloping down block had enormous potential to be transformed from a dated 1980’s residence into contemporary timeless home. The external facade of dark brown was mirrored internally with a dark internal brick walled staircase at the entrance foyer which lead down to four floors of living space, giving a dungeon like feel to the home. The large living areas were aliened from each other by small standard doors. This alienation was reinforced by the changing floor coverings throughout the property. Rotting timbers of the balconies had made these areas uninhabitable and uninviting for many years.

The overall design itself was well planned, but the home required an extreme makeover. Enlarging the standard door openings allowed the view from the bush land to be visible from every aspect of the main living floor. Large mirrors now reflect the bush land view onto the interior walls that are complimented with equally large contemporary artworks. Snow gum white walls allow the scent of the surrounding gums to flow through the newly opened living spaces. The external of the house was rendered in a soft gum leaf grey, complimenting the surrounding bush land. The heaving timber balcony was replaced with a steel and wire balustrade that no longer obscured the expansive bush land view. To ensure that not only light flowed through the space, the tones of floor coverings were uniform, giving warmth earthy energy. The simplicity of adding bi-fold doors instantly created an indoor outdoor living space on both the upper and lower floors. Extensive landscaping disguised firebreak at the rear of property and created a low maintenance formal courtyard garden with manicured hedges and standard scented gardenias.

Project Detail

Location: Sydney
Assignment: Design, Construction and Project Management
Team Size: Five
Duration: 43 Weeks