Located close to the centre of Ballarat, this 1930’s Interwar period home was left unrenovated since its construction. The new owner’s priority was to retain the charm of the original building but to also create a contemporary, light-filled addition with a courtyard space that was closely connected to the interior.

The new open-plan addition is a contemporary pavilion with hints of west-coast modernism. Without overwhelming or copying the proportions of the original structure, the addition extends from the rear of the old house via a lowered ceiling space to provide a clean intersection and a sense of ‘compression and release’. Rooms of the original home have been converted to bedrooms, bathrooms, and a formal lounge – spaces that are better suited to the darker, more cloistered nature of the original structure. Auxiliary service spaces, including the pantry and laundry, tuck back into the original footprint but maintain a direct connection to the new kitchen.

A seam of black bricks provides a shadow line between old house and the new timber clad extension. Punching through the timber, a square window seat provides a sunny reading space that is close to the social side of the kitchen. Large sliding glass doors provide natural light and extend daily life out into the courtyard.  A raised pelmet in the living room increases the height of the north-facing glazing – while decreasing the bulk of the roof above. This timber-clad roof volume protrudes over the outdoor dining space to shade the north façade. It is supported a double brick wall on one end and freestanding outdoor fireplace at the other. The connection between the interior and exterior is further reinforced by the monolithic off-white brick wall that extends through the line of glazing and wraps around the courtyard and become the boundary fence.