Site + Context

Located on a rock escarpment in Castlecrag overlooking Sailors Bay to the south, this two-storey brick home in the bushfire-prone Walter Burley Griffin Conservation Area. Though solid, the house poorly addressed its northern street frontage and ignored its sweeping bushland and water views. Internally it was maze of cold, dark spaces disconnected from the outdoors. 

Client + Brief

Kathy is passionate about the area and the native bush surrounding her home, particularly its eucalypts and cyatheas which she has helped regenerate around large ironstone outcrops.

She needed the interior redesigned to accommodate herself and her young adult son for years to come. Her brief was for a flexible new layout with more light, better outlooks and independent space for her son. 

Inspiration + Response

What was once an awkward house on a lovely bush block has become a restful and easy to live in sanctuary for Kathy who is deeply connected to the landscape.

The interior re-design brought useful new openings to the brick shell, including a new clerestory window for northern light, and an elongated window along the kitchen bench for a sightline to the street.

External additions include lightweight steel and timber decks that form and connect new outdoor spaces.

The red-brick building was softened in appearance with bagging and a warm earthy tone, that helps highlight the new decks and terraces.