This lovely house was designed by Stanic Harding Architects, involved the total remodeling of a dilapidated Victorian terrace house in the heart of Paddington. The site contained a limited terrace and a strip of vacant land which was used as the main circulation spine. The Victorian street front facade was retained and the new modern assignment was courteously recessed between the neighbouring properties. A steep fall across the site permit the rear of the house to be opened to the north and the district views beyond. The project was an exercise in exploring the contemporary reworking of the standard terrace model, within the confines of heritage constraints, while accommodating the needs of a young family.
The main street entrance was relocated to the new portion of the building. This serving a strong circulation spine from which all other parts of the house are accessed. Visitors are brought down into the main living areas of the house as directly as possible via the open wide stair within the vertically oriented entry volume. The main living area runs the full length of the site from the reinstated light court on the street side through to the mature trees within the garden. The kitchen connected to the courtyard and is directly related to the garage space below. The dining space is bounded by a banquette seat running along the change of level down to the living area. The garden level had to be maintained to protect the existing trees and retain the rear lane access.
