Involving a home that was built well over a hundred years ago, this project in Fremantle required a lot of care and respect for heritage. Needing extra space for a growing family, the clients wanted a unique addition that would adhere to strict council requirements while making the most of limited space. Thankfully, with innovative designer Keith Cameron Brown, we were able to make that a reality.
A HERITAGE HISTORY
Originally built sometime between 1885 and 1890, this home can be found in one of Fremantle’s heritage areas on Arundel Street. At the time, Arundel Street housed a range of residents from workers to more well-off owners of small businesses. Due to its proximity to the ocean, many of these were engaged in the fishing industry. This particular home was ideal for the owner who is assumed to have worked at his father’s adjacent boatyard. Since then, it’s passed to many different people and families, until our clients bought it in 2016. With such a history, we needed to keep the façade’s structure, and wanted to respect the original design as much as possible, ensuring our addition wouldn’t be a dominant feature from the street.
DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS
Our primary goal for this project was to add a contemporary extension without impacting the street’s heritage atmosphere. This would transform the 3-bed 1-bath cottage into a 4-bed 2-bath home, much more comfortable for a family with two working parents.
In the front original structure, 3 bedrooms were retained as they were. The living area would, however, connect with the new part of the home and needed a new coat of paint and refreshed floorboards. Move into what used to be the kitchen and the new is clearly defined with a transition to burnished concrete flooring. Here, a modern contemporary style becomes the standout, but we carried through elements of the old where possible.
In the dining room, a raised ceiling creates height, and a feature wall of exposed brickwork adds character, before leading through glass doors to a large pergola. To the right, the old exterior wall was demolished and now opens to the two-storey addition. In the kitchen, bright white walls and cabinetry are contrasted with Scyon Axon cladding painted in dark monument to the island. And one thing we must talk about is the porcelain kitchen benchtop, which brings an organic element into the room, but also hides an integrated induction cooktop. Tucked behind the kitchen, a pantry and laundry offer extra storage.
Burnished concrete is more affordable and sustainable as it makes use of the concrete slab without the need for an extra finish.
Extra storage under the stairs - and why not make it creative?
On the opposite end of the kitchen, a Victorian Ash staircase leads to the second storey, with a lightwell that floods down into the kitchen and dining room. Once upstairs, the innovative space is a testament to the mind of the designer Keith Cameron Brown. The whole area, which consists of a study and primary suite (complete with a spacious walk-in-robe) is found within the angled walls of a Mansard roof. This was the clever solution to council restrictions that wouldn’t allow a second storey, but would allow a loft. Not only did the angled walls classify this space as such, they would also help hide this second storey from the street and maintain the heritage aesthetic.
A nice touch we’re also very pleased about is their decision to make the ground floor bathroom tile-free, which was actually influenced by our older Claremont project. This is done using Stolit Milano from Sto Australia, an acrylic-based product which is highly customisable in colour and texture. It creates a unique, contemporary look without the frustrating maintenance that comes with tile grout.
Onto the exterior and a similar colour pallet can be found. Masterwall cladding contrasts with Colorbond Ultra standing seam in monument, with a canterbury prickle detail. The angled walls of the second storey are now a stand-out feature, bringing a unique twist to an otherwise minimalist design. White Scyon axon panels clad the storage house and are contrasted with more recycled bricks on the boundary wall. All cladding was carefully chosen to withstand the coastal climate with minimal maintenance.
CHALLENGES
The most significant challenge in this project was designing around a sewer main in the backyard, as it significantly constrained the size of the ground floor. The solution that Keith Cameron Brown came up with, though, was a second storey with an overhang that would ensure the main was always accessible. Choosing to explore these options was a bit of a risk for the clients, but we have no doubt they’re very happy with the solution.
On the building side of things, and it was space that proved to be quite a challenge for us. On a relatively busy street, the home is also next door to an apartment block which needed lots of parking. On the other side, their driveway (which itself is less than 3m wide) is shared with the other neighbours, so lots of coordination was needed to plan when we could use that space. All of this left us very little space to store materials or even get machines into the property. Luckily, though, the neighbours were very accommodating and, with lots of experience working on similar properties, we were able to coordinate everything to ensure it progressed as smoothly as possible.
THE CLIENTS
Our clients for this project had already lived in the home for a few years before they decided to renovate. During the build, they had two very young kids, so one of the main reasons for the addition was to allow for two separate zones, one for the kids when they grew older and one that could act as a quiet retreat and work-from-home space for the parents. Both very hard working and keen to reduce the budget, they even got out the tools and paint brushes near the end of the build and restored the home’s façade. Now, a few years after completion, they’ve asked us to help put a pool in the backyard which, of course, we’re more than happy to do.
AWARDS
2022 - HIA Perth Housing Awards
Finalist - Innovation in Lightweight Housing $550k - $800k
Photography by Andrew Pritchard and Arklen.