House for an Author

Comprising of both a roof and basement extension, the architecture of the Victorian terrace house is opened up and pulled apart at top and bottom to add two new additional floor volumes and two new distinct kinds of interiority.

The basement and rooftop extensions learn from and respect the original period style and material palette of the contextual vernacular of H.C. Foulkes' distinctive 1893 housing development. Internally, the refurbished house is experienced as a journey through colour from basement to rooftop, with bold colours accenting new architectural insertions.

A zinc-yellow staircase leads down to an expansive basement space designed for play and entertaining - a world away from the high-Victorian period interiors above. A new cedar-shingle clad extension on the roof contains a light-filled bedroom and shower room, with angled windows and roof lights that frame views of the surrounding roof-scape.

Thresholds between old and new were given delicate consideration to transition between the Victorian and contemporary architectures, with new floor finishes and joinery elements.