While a full-scale renovation or addition might be unnecessary, it's possible to transform the functionality of your home with small, yet strategic changes...
The owners of this 1980s project home had a list of grievances they wanted to fix: a lack of connection to the rear garden, storage (or lack thereof), overheating in summer and spaces that were difficult to furnish. They did, however, have enough space, so there was no need to extend, but addressing these issues would take a series of small but powerful moves which, when combined would have a dramatic impact on the home. Michael McManus Architects developed a series of strategic steps which would add up to make a huge difference to the livability of the home.
A new large sliding door better connects the rear living area to the garden, while a new wrap-around deck extends living outdoors. A flood overlay meant the deck had to be 900mm above the natural ground with open stairs, but this space was put to good use for storage, with wire mesh panels that can be removed to provide access to this valuable additional space.
The issue of overheating was dealt with with new windows positioned to allow for better cross-flow ventilation as well as a cleverly designed new pergola over the north-facing windows. The pergola is designed with open sides and space between the high point of the pergola and the house's roof to allow it to vent hot air naturally. A combination of roofing materials is used: COLORBOND® steel in Thredbo White® and transluscent Ampelite Wonderglas GS roofing provides the best of both worlds: the COLORBOND® steel roofing provides shade to the north-facing windows in summer, while the Ampelite allows light into the windows during winter. Both materials were selected to minimise heat gain to keep the space cooler.
New joinery provides storage throughout and the warm timber tones help to create ambience and character and fit in with the home's era.
New double-glazed windows throughout help to improve the home's thermal performance, keeping it warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
"The result is a great example of sustainable reuse - a lot can be done working with existing building to make them more comfortable and appealing, without demolishing the back off, as is fairly typical... Without a big redo, lots of small details and care combine to uplift the experience of the existing house, working with it to bring the best out of it."
