Our clients approached us to renovate and extend their 100-year-old cottage in East Victoria Park. They wanted to create a sense of retreat, reminiscent of a down-south holiday.

The original cottage is located in a character preservation area, so it was restored and reconfigured to contain a parents’ retreat, guest accommodation and living room.

We added a new contemporary extension at the rear which provides opportunities for the family to gather – and host friends and relatives – in a relaxed and modern living space that opens to a generous garden and pool.

By keeping the footprint of this new addition relatively modest – and placing it along the southern boundary – the design reorients the main areas to the north, bringing in abundant natural light.

The addition is enclosed on three sides by a textured rammed earth wall that clearly delineates old from new in a sympathetic way. The rammed earth extends outwards to frame the pool, seamlessly connecting indoor and outdoor spaces.

Upstairs, the children’s zone includes three bedrooms and a bathroom. Dedicated study spaces make the most of the green canopy of a neighbour’s jacaranda tree, enhancing the sense of being elevated in a treehouse.

The upper section was constructed using lightweight timber framing clad with fibre-cement weatherboard, to reduce embodied energy and accelerate the construction program. This reduced disruption time for the clients and their neighbours.

The use of all-electric appliances throughout – and photovoltaic panels on the roof – means that operational carbon footprint will be minimised over the home’s lifespan.

We designed this project in collaboration with Marquet Studio and it was built by Bruce Construction Design.

Status: Completed 2025

Project Type: Homes – Alteration and addition

Client:            private

Materials:       Rammed earth, timber framing, fibre cement weatherboard cladding, metal roofing

CREDITS:

Architecture – MDC Architects

Interiors – Marquet Studio

Construction – Tim Bruce, Bruce Construction Design

Landscape Design – Kelsie Davies

Photographer – Lajos Varga

Styling – Jessica Alice

---