The House Behind is an addition and renovation to a c/1930’s family residence in Hendra. It is a successful meld of ‘new’ and ‘old’. The brief included new bedrooms, a large modern living area, and an external courtyard and pool to suit the current and future lifestyle of a family with children. The concept was to create a bold, contemporary addition at the rear of an existing Brisbane weatherboard house that would express modern architectural style without compromising the integrity and character of the existing home. The contemporary two storey addition abuts the existing house incorporates lightweight and masonry construction and is orientated to maximise breezes and natural light.
The juxtaposition of new and old is softened by the carefully articulated spatial arrangement. The new kitchen and sitting room are constructed between the level of the existing house and the natural ground level of the new extension, acting as a transition zone between the two architectural dialogues. The form of the building accentuates this relationship. Material selection, changes in floor level, and colour accentuate the playful dichotomy between new and old. This design explores the expressive capacity of domestic extensions through the sensitive collaboration of ‘new’ and ‘old’ architectural types.
Architectural Team | Robert Biscoe, Marion Wilson, Ray Franke, Paul Matthews, Jaime Webber
Builder | CJ & D Taylor
Structural Engineer | Farr Engineers
Photographer | Aperture Architectural Photography
