Elsternwick House / Simon Couchman Architects

Architects: Simon Couchman Architects / Simon Couchmanc
Location: Elsternwick, VIC, Australia
Project Engineer: KH Engineering
Building Contractor: Mitty and Price Pty Ltd
Landscape: David Manning
Project Year: 2011
Project Area: 181 sqm
Photographs: Christine Francis

Providing family accommodation on this small heritage-restricted corner site in Elsternwick required a solution that was outside of the square. A contemporary 2-story structure has been built to the rear of the existing cottage clad in contrasting dark zinc to draw a very deliberate line between new and old.

Elevation

The external form of the new building mirrors the outline of the existing but is offset and hovers over the old roof separated by a band of glazing that wraps around it. The upper level loft-style children’s bedrooms incorporate a shared bathroom, fully enclosed north-facing balconies and access to a storage area within the existing roof space.

Master bedroom to the front of the house opens into a new en-suite bathroom with free-standing bath naturally lit by overhead roof light glazing. Zinc pods, protruding from the south blind side of the building, accommodate laundry and maximise storage space within the house. A new kitchen/dining/living area to the rear of the house opens out to private, timber deck and urban garden via full height sliding glass doors.