| | These days, the architecture world prides itself on a sense of general sensitivity. Residential extensions are delicately considered affairs, with architects and homeowners seeking desperately to retain the stylistic integrity of the existing structure; to transform an old house into a modern masterpiece while preserving its historical qualities.
But for the better part of the last century, if not longer, the matter of renovation was largely a tale of convenience and economy. It is a story rooted firmly in the Australian dream: the family home on a quarter-acre block, with aspirations for something bigger - the hope of modest expansion as the need arose. Everyone renovated to some extent; sometimes DIY, usually piecemeal.
This story begins in the 1920s, with an unassuming house on St Canice Avenue in Sandy Bay, five minutes from the heart of Hobart. It was a practical, traditional brick bungalow, on a relatively impressive block by Australian suburban standards, with panoramic views of the Derwent River. When this modest home needed an extra room, an extra room was tacked on. With a growing family to think of there was seldom any consideration of architectural integrity, spacial continuity or aesthetic character. This story recurred several times over many decades, until, like so many interwar homes, the St Canice Residence was entombed by decades of ad hoc alterations, transformed into a unplanned collection of disjointed rooms and convoluted spaces.
Enter Preston Lane Architects. Their first step was to free the home of this patchwork shell, to reveal the longhidden home within. A more challenging task was then to accommodate the home’s original elements in a contemporary yet sensitive new design.
Having demolished the various extensions, the buildings finest original sandstone and brick features were salvaged, and are now framed in situ by two new extensions: one projecting from the original frontage, the other inwardly focused at the rear. Partly for the sake of integrity, and partly with the old rigours of budget renovation in mind, the original fireplaces were also retained: concealed in the master bedroom by a carefully detailed joinery unit, and highlighted in the dining room by timber veneer panels with an extended hearth of polished concrete. The original entryway was preserved, and now opens into the adjacent dining and living areas via sliding doors, so that the living spaces may still be closed off from the rest of the house, without detracting from the sense of light and openness. This flexibility is continued at the rear end of the house, where bi-fold doors double the size of the living space out onto the deck. A small 1970s extension at the eastern aspect was completely demolished, and in its stead is a new living room extension at the upper level, and a garage below.
The original period detailing is now the focal point of the design. Joinery niches in the end of the original primary entrance corridor and the secondary entrance (through the gallery at the side of the house) draw the occupant through the immediate space and outside into the light beyond. The living room is punctuated by a series of picture windows positioned at various heights, so as to frame specific views, while maintaining privacy from close neighbours. From the dining room to the gallery, the focus is on the outdoor sandstone wall, through the transient boundary of sliding glass.
Additional focus is achieved by subtle contrast with the contemporary extensions. Off-white polished porcelain floor tiles, extensive glazing and hallway mirrors offset the rustic sandstone wall outside and glimpses of raw brickwork inside, sections of which have been left exposed: framed like artworks by the high-gloss white interior walls.
On the exterior surfaces, Preston Lane Architects chose a simple yet rich palette of smooth contemporary materials, to contrast the more romantic, rustic substances of the original structure. New walls are clad with painted compressed sheet and oiled Tasmanian Oak ship-lapped boards, with windows framed in charcoal aluminium.
In this latest chapter of the St Canice Residence, Preston Lane Architects has done away with history, freeing the house from the “distractions” that had obscured its true form and character. The result is an epic home, focused around some classic excerpts, in a subtle testament to the endurance of the built form. + PHOTOGRAPHY by Ralph Alphonso, Richard Eastwood 1 The St Canice Residence now has a completely new outlook, sensitive to its historical modesty, yet still utterly modern. 2 The meeting of interior and exterior creates stimlating sight lines, and turns the whole space into visual gallery. 3 Economy and creativity saw existing fireplaces concealed behind attractive timber veneer panels rather than demolished. 4 The original sandstone retaining wall was preserved and turned into a visual showpiece at the interior/exterior threshold. |
