Gadigal Wangal Country

House in Summer Hill explores how to create additional sleeping spaces and improve on living areas for a growing family without increasing the building footprint of a home located in a heritage conservation area.

The existing dwelling contained 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and a living space with poor connection to the outdoor garden. Access to natural daylight and ventilation was limited due to it’s south-facing orientation and layout.

We reconfigured the internal layout to accommodate a fourth bedroom, ensuite, and an open-plan living space with direct connection to the rear garden. Opportunities for built-in joinery were identified to enhance internal amenity throughout.

Thorough knowledge of the legislative controls allowed us to achieve this under a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) and avoided the need for a Development Application, despite being located in a heritage conservation area. The proposal retains the original building form and footprint, helping to reduce construction waste on a project with a modest budget and demonstrating that intelligent design, and not additional floor area, can often achieve an intended outcome.

Council: Inner West

Completed: 2021