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This Fairfield home renovation by A for Architecture rejects the ‘modern box’ style of contemporary rear additions in favour of nostalgia.
Tucked beneath a towering gum tree, the two-storey extension breathes new life into a once-tired Edwardian weatherboard home.
‘The owners were deeply attached to the home and were nervous that a renovation might lose some of the charm of the old house. They had a deep connection to the area and their community, so they decided to embark on a renovation rather than sell up and move house,’ explains architect Anna Rozen.
‘They didn’t want a “modern box” added at the back of the original home that had a different aesthetic and feel; they wanted it to feel like it had always been there and that the new spaces blended seamlessly with the original parts of the house.’
To blend old with new, A for Architecture left the exterior’s corrugated iron hipped roof and charming weatherboard facade untouched. Inside, one of the original front three bedrooms became a large bathroom, while the original bathroom was transformed into a sewing room and studio.
The rear of the home was demolished to make room for the two-storey addition with a new kitchen, living, dining and laundry on the ground floor, and two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs.
Wrapped in recycled brick and with a gable roof, eaves, and timber fascias, the new addition tactfully references the original home’s shape and materials.
The design also preserves a much-loved feature of the backyard: a mature gum tree.
‘They loved the large backyard — which was sheltered by a large gum tree — and didn’t want to lose any garden space (or lose the tree!)’ Anna says.
The extension was carefully positioned around the tree’s root zone and canopy, allowing the new living spaces to settle beneath its branches — ‘It feels like you’re sitting under the tree,’ says Anna.
‘There’s something inherently authentic about designing around everyday life, rather than trying to create something that looks impressive or ticks all the right boxes,’ she explains.
‘You end up with spaces that feel personal, relaxed and unpretentious, and for me, that’s what makes a house feel unmistakably Australian.’
