Brunswick Bush Shack By Sarah Kahn Architect

From the start, this project was out of the ordinary. Rather than the typical approach to residential additions to original terrace houses, in which the minimum two rooms face the street and a new large open space is added to the rear, this project retained the entire original Edwardian semidetached terrace and included only a single room extension.

Main Design And Subtle features Of The Shack

The owners, a young family, felt they had plenty of space in the original house but that the cramped and tired 90’s addition at the back, which only housed the kitchen, blocked access to the perfect northern orientation and the connection to the rear garden; a tiny green oasis the family cherished. The family enjoyed cooking, eating, and entertaining friends and family, and they wanted to create a one-of-a-kind space for them to do so that was bathed in natural light and directly connected to their established bush garden.

Along with the main addition of the kitchen/dining room, the brief also called for work within the original house, such as a new bathroom in the same location as the existing bathroom and laundry, an additional powder room, and the inclusion of a new study space that could be separated from the other rooms when needed. The rest of the house was left as is, with the owners appreciating that the original Edwardian house already provided generous bedrooms and a cosy lounge space that they valued being able to have completely separated from the dining and kitchen space.

The New Additions To The Shack

The new addition is designed to stand in stark contrast to the house’s original rooms. The form maximises sunlight access and connection to the garden while not overshadowing the adjacent garden spaces. Internally, the raked roof form allows for dramatic height, and the subtle angle to the line of the extended roof over the terrace skews the view from inside towards the north and views across the neighbourhood. The new addition’s entire footprint extends no further than the old kitchen, allowing the existing garden beds and bush planting to be preserved.

After the long walk from the front door through the all-white original house with ‘frilly’ original period details, an all-plywood interior provides warmth and detail, an unexpected and pleasant surprise. The timber structure is visible and emphasises the dramatic raked ceiling. The space is flooded with light from the fully glazed northern façade and the high level window on the southern side. The southern window also allows for cross ventilation and provides a view of the old house’s original tiled roof beyond.

Written By Ankit Lad | Subscribe To Our Telegram Channel To Get Latest Updates And Don’t Forget To Follow Our Social Media Handles Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter. To Get the Latest Updates From Arco Unico