Originally built in 1924, this heritage Brisbane home presented a challenge for Hive Architecture. The firm were committed to find a way to extend the home to suit modern family living, while retaining the qualities of a traditional Queenslander.
‘Beautiful, usable family spaces were the cornerstone of the brief,’ architect Damian Goode explains. ‘There was a definite desire to restore the original character of the home, and build on this with contemporary features suited to modern living.’ The client also wanted to ensure that the final structure would retain a few of its original imperfections!
In short, it needed to feel like a home. To do this, the front portion of the house was retained in its original condition, while the rear section (containing the ramshackle kitchen, bathroom and dining area) was demolished and sensitively re-created, to make way for a contemporary communal living space. The new open-plan layout offers easy transition between internal zones, and between inside and out.
Damian’s new design centres around a towering internal gallery with a double-height ceiling. This atrium generously brings together the original front of the house, and the contemporary addition. As well as being a clever conceptual gesture, the expansive void also maximises natural light and airflow throughout the home.
To balance these major updates, significant efforts were made to ensure original detailing was retained wherever possible. Original hallway arches, wall linings and internal cottage-style doors were all retained, while new trims and cornices were installed to retain the original period feel of the home.
The steep sloping yard at the back was also levelled, to insert a pool and a series of terraces. The pre-Federation-style wraparound verandahs now overlook the various outdoor spaces. And yet, Damian says the forest green and terrazzo kitchen is always everyone’s favourite part! A curved wall and deep green tinted timber battens (with cabinetry by Blackwood Collective) softens this functional space, and the terrazzo flooring gives it a playful edge. This same shade of green is repeated in the concrete bathroom vanities, lending a mid-century-inspired flourish to this heritage homestead.
‘Back in 1924 the house sat proudly on the hill surrounded by few buildings,’ Damian says. ‘Now it sit proudly once again, but restored and sympathetically modernised.’
See more projects from Hive Architecture here.
