Project Raleigh

Design Intent
A complete renovation of an existing period home, this project sought to retain and celebrate the original period features while contemporising the residence in a manner reflective of the time in which the renovation was completed. The design aimed to maximise space, natural light, and storage within a compact site that shared a partition wall with the adjoining property.

Challenges
Due to the heritage character of the surrounding neighbourhood and the shared partition wall with the adjacent property, the original front façade needed to remain intact to preserve the existing streetscape character. The first-floor addition was required to be set back so it would not be visible from the street, dramatically reducing the available area for the upper-level extension. Another key challenge was introducing natural light into the centre of the ground floor once it became covered by the new first-floor addition.

Outcomes
The introduction of a first-floor addition allowed the home’s floor space to be significantly expanded within the constraints of the small site footprint. Incorporating a strategically positioned lightwell brought natural light deep into the centre of the home and down to the ground floor. This transformed the compact building envelope into a far more spacious and functional residence while retaining the period character at the front of the property.
The project successfully modernised the home using new cladding, skylights, north-facing rear glazing, and a first floor concealed from the street frontage, achieving the client’s goals while respecting the existing neighbourhood context. A strong indoor-outdoor connection was also established, creating a quiet retreat from the surrounding urban environment. The interior finishes transition seamlessly from the original period detailing to the contemporary rear addition, avoiding any sense of visual disjunction despite the contrasting architectural styles between the front, rear, and upper levels.