This project began with an honest conversation. Our clients had already been to a draftsperson to design their addition. They showed us the proposed plans. One look told us it wasn't going to work — the design missed the site's potential entirely. We placed it in the circular file and started fresh.
The opportunity
A rural site at Mt Duneed with a modest existing house and a generous budget of intention if not of dollars. The site received good sun. The existing home was perfectly functional. What was missing was a sense of arrival, a connection between inside and outside, and a bedroom arrangement that worked for the family's life.
The design — a suntrap courtyard
The addition is organised around a north-facing courtyard — a sheltered outdoor room that captures the sun from morning to late afternoon and creates a new heart for the home. A new entry via a covered linkway gives the house a genuine sense of arrival for the first time. A new bedroom wing extends the accommodation without overwhelming the existing building.
The personal touch
Our clients had spent years travelling throughout South-East Asia, and those years had left a genuine mark on their aesthetic. We integrated Asian-inspired joinery throughout the addition — not as a superficial decorative gesture, but as a considered expression of who these people are and what they value. Years later, they still sit in the courtyard on a sunny day, basking in the sun.
Modest on budget, maximised on impact
Every design decision on this project was tested against a simple question: does this make the biggest difference it can? The result is a home that was transformed at a fraction of the cost it could have consumed.
Type: Rural house addition Location: Mt Duneed, Geelong region Services: Architectural design, documentation, contract administration
Have a rural or semi-rural property that needs thoughtful addition design? Call Jeremy on 0402 952 810.
