ELSTERNWICK HOUSE

Elsternwick, Victoria, Australia

Providing family accommodation on this small heritage-restricted corner site in Elsternwick required a solution that was outside of the square. A contemporary 2-storey structure has been built to the rear of the existing cottage clad in contrasting dark zinc to draw a very deliberate line between old and new.

  • The external form of the new building mirrors the outline of the existing but is offset and hovers over the old roof separated by a band of glazing that wraps around it. The upper level children’s bedrooms incorporate a shared bathroom, fully enclosed north-facing balconies and access to a storage area within the existing roof space.

    The master bedroom to the front of the house opens into a new en-suite bathroom with free-standing bath naturally lit by overhead roof light glazing. Zinc pods protruding from the south, blind side of the building accommodate laundry and maximise storage space within the house. A new kitchen / dining / living area to the rear of the house opens out to private, timber deck and urban garden via full height sliding glass doors.

    Project Engineer: KH Engineering

    Building Contractor: Mitty and Price Pty Ltd

    Landscape: David Manning

    Photographer: Christine Francis

    Site area: 230 sqm

    Building area total: 181 sqm